Obituary: Shrek the Sheep

Shrek the Sheep, 16, died 6^th June, at Dunstan Animal Hospital after a prolonged illness.  A state funeral will be held at Parliament House on Sunday followed by a barbeque.

Shrek was born on Bendigo Station, Otago, in September 1994.  In 1998 he left the farm and embarked on a journey of spiritual self discovery, devoting himself to a life of solitude, abstinence, and meditation.  He gained international media attention in 2004 when he finally emerged from his cave to share with the world his new outlook on life and his philosophy of Sheepism.

He travelled New Zealand making many friends and gaining devoted followers, some in high places such as former Prime Minister Helen Clark.  Shrek worked tirelessly raising money for charity by selflessly auctioning his wool, and created awareness of climate change by visiting an iceberg off Dunedin’s coast.

While he may not have been as playful as New Zealand’s celebrity dolphins, he was a wily old critter who knew the lay of the land, lived by his principles, and his deeds made the country a richer place, especially for his owner.

Shrek will be posthumously awarded a knighthood for services to philanthropy and in his honour State Highway 8 will be renamed State Highway Shrek.