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Patrick, The Oldest Of His Kind, Has Just Passed Away At The Age Of 32

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Patrick the wombat spent 32 wonderful years at the Ballarat Wildlife Park in Victoria, Australia. Sadly, his incredibly long life came to an end yesterday surrounded by his friends and carers.He became an online sensation when staff created a Facebook page for the impressive animal, which amassed more than 56,000 followers. Since his passing, fans have been keen to pay homage to the wombat, who was by far the oldest of his species.

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 Source: Instagram/battaratwp

Nadia Taylor, one of his many fans, expressed her sadness over the loss of her friend:

Today I say a sad farewell to my spirit animal Patrick the Wombat. I can never put into words how special it was to meet him, pat him, and give him some corn. [...] Many tears are shed today for Patrick and mine join the others for loving this special guy .
patrick-oldest-wombat-1

 Source : Facebook / Nadia Taylor

Staff members from the zoodescribed their sadness at this time:

Patrick the Wombat came to the park as an orphan after his mother was hit by a car and was raised by Greg and his family. He has touched the hearts of many people around the World. At nearly 32 years of age, he was known as the oldest Bare-nosed Wombat in the World.
Patrick was surrounded by those who loved and cared for him when he passed away peacefully. [...] Everyone will dearly miss Patrick and the park plans to erect a permanent memorial at the park to honour him
patrick-oldest-wombat-4

 Source: Instagram/battaratwp

In 2015, for his 30th birthday, Patrick was showered with gifts and his carers even created an account on the dating application Tinder to help the animal find love. Julia Leonard, the owner of the park, described to The Sydney Morning Herald at the time:

He's after someone who enjoys late nights, especially dusk and dawn, can dig a good hole and enjoys feeding him carrots.
patrick-oldest-wombat-2

Source: Instagram/battaratwp

Although everyone who loved Patrick will mourn the loss of their favorite mascot, they are nonetheless comforted by the fact that he led an extremely long and happy life.If you would like to know more about this wonderful animal, you can visit his Facebook page and watch the video below:[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elqhEWWRjDM[/embed]

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