Friendly sheep and affectionate alpaca prove a novelty in Drysdale

PANDA, Lambkins and Yakka prove to be quite a novelty for people who walk past Bronwyn Riddell’s house in Drysdale.

Bronwyn lives in Whitcombes Road with her two sheep and alpaca, who she has hand-raised since they were babies.

Panda is now 20 years old, while her last baby, Lambkins, is five years old, and Yakka, who loves little kids and kisses, is about 12.

“It’s a real novelty, I let them out the front to graze and people stop their cars to have a look,” Bronwyn said. “But they all just mow the lawns!”

Bronwyn has recently moved to the Bellarine from her 10-acre property in Little River.

Daughter Millie Durst said she and her family grew up with lots of different animals on their land in Little River, where she had given her mum the nickname “Mary” because all the sheep would follow her around.

Millie said her mum and Panda’s connection was evident about five years ago when Bronwyn suffered a cardiac arrest.

“We had some people looking after the sheep but Panda lost so much weight and we thought we were going to lose her, but then when Mum came home she started living quite happily again.

“She was absolutely fretting for her so we thought she was sick, and she was still considered quite old, but in the end it was an immaculate recovery and she put on all this weight again.”

Bronwyn said Panda would come in her house for a look around if the back door was left open, and would tap on her bedroom window in the morning to let her know she was ready to go.