General News
4 February, 2021
Town will miss Zac
PYRAMID Hill has sadly said farewell to one of its most-loved and popular residents. Zac, the 35-year-old donkey who has been a friend to people of all ages, passed away at the weekend. Emma Moon has fond memories of Zac. “He used to reside in...
PYRAMID Hill has sadly said farewell to one of its most-loved and popular residents.
Zac, the 35-year-old donkey who has been a friend to people of all ages, passed away at the weekend.
Emma Moon has fond memories of Zac. “He used to reside in a paddock along the Bendigo road for many years, with a sheep mate hence why he was so well known by everyone,
“He moved to greener pastures a few years ago, to a paddock on the Cohuna road.
“Many many people would stop to give him a pat and treats!,” Emma said.
Vaughn Herrick has provided the following information since we sent this week's edition of the Loddon Herald to the printers.
Zac arrived in Pyramid in 1985 in the back of a ute having been purchased from a farm at Talbot. His new owner Mary Herrick had plans to keep him in the large backyard in town but after a couple of weeks of noisy braying he got moved to a channel bank south of town. Mary would walk down to him and lead him back to town where he was taught how to be ridden and pull a gig behind him. Unknown to the Herrick family the other visitor Zac would get down at the channel bank were the local footballers who would sneak down there and ride him at night after a home function. Zac was bought into town on Palm Sundays to lead the church possession around the streets
After 15 years he was moved to the edge of town on another channel bank beside a main road and this is where his popularity started. People would stop to feed him, pat him, take photos with him, one lady even sat there and painted a picture of him. While he was here he was befriended by a sheep Basil that got across the channel and spent many years living with him. Zac escaped from the channel bank one day, jogged into town to the hotel, turned around then jogged back to the channel where he was put back behind the fence. Zacs time on this channel bank came to an end about five years ago when he wasn’t there one morning and was found standing in the channel unable to move, after being lifted out , he and basil went to a paddock at the back of the farm for a month before being moved to a paddock just beside the Bullock Creek.
He spent the last five years here, with a shed for shelter, green grass, lucerne chaff twice a day, and still getting visitors once they found out where he was. Another sheep, Rambo a stud ram found his way into the paddock and after Basil died , kept Zac company till the end. About 6 months ago Zac developed arthritis in his front leg, and was taken daily medication, but a couple of weeks ago it got worse and finally took him out. He had his own Facebook page and was very popular with grandparents, parents and kids. Will be sadly missed by many.