And, is this just a coincidence?
[b]National News
Stuffed Toy Released into Wild[/b]
WINTON: After 15 years in captivity Jeremy Giraffe, stuffed toy and life long companion of Tim Bottington was released into the wild yesterday.
Timmy and Jeremy became inseparable after their first meeting at Tim's 5th birthday in 1982.
"They did just about everything together" Tim's mum Margaret recounts. "I remember the day when we couldn't find Timmy anywhere. We eventually found him peddling his little heart out, on his way into town, on his tricycle with Jeremy in the basket. Apparently he thought Jeremy was cold, so he was off to buy him a scarf."
The two spent more than 15 years together and Jeremy even followed Tim to University in Dunedin. But unfortunately the two went there separate ways after Tim grew up and got a job in Wellington.
The decision to release Jeremy into the wild came days ago when the two were reunited once again. On a visit home Tim found Jeremy in a trunk of old things out in his parents garage.
He couldn't bare to see his friend and long time companion stuffed between his old toy guns and board games so the decision was made to release him into the wild, so he could be free again to run across the wild plains of Southland.
Sources close to Tim say that he is bearing up well after the release. In a prepared statement Tim's friends acknowledge the generous support of the local community during the release and stated that although Tim knows he may never see his friend again, he is sure that he will be just fine.