Please Come Snuggle
Animal Stories from All-Creatures.org

FROM

Sarah, Indraloka Animal Sanctuary
June 2016

Sarah, a long-time animal lover and volunteer at the sanctuary, graciously shares with us the endless life lessons she learns from the animals at Indraloka. Enjoy!

lily rescued pig

During a recent visit, sweet Lily Pie asked me to “Please come snuggle.” Of course, she didn’t have to ask twice! She rolled for a belly rub first, but then used her snout to nuzzle her face into my armpit and wriggle her body closer and closer until she was resting her head on my arm, her back on my belly, and her rump on my legs- I believe we humans call it “spooning.”

It was a hot day, she had already eaten dinner, and Lily needed some quiet time in the remaining sunshine with a friend - and I gladly accepted her invitation. As I sang to her, Lily snored loudly, even as my hand tickled her chin and she smiled up at the sky. We stayed like that for a long time - exchanging quiet stories, singing songs, and watching the clouds. I’m not sure whether Lily needed that time, or if she sensed I needed it - but by the time we each took a deep breath and stood up, the world around us seemed even more vivid and alive than before. Our fun was not over, though!

Next, I called Lily over to her wallow - deep with warm water and wet mud - and my boots sank in. As I sat on the edge, I kicked the water gently, making ripples and light splashes at the surface. Lily was mesmerized - and when I stopped, she dove her face into the water blowing bubbles with her nose and mouth to make the same ripples appear. When she stopped, I started again. We went back and forth several times - until Lily surprised me! She dove down into the water - locked her eyes on my eyes - lifted her snout and threw a giant layer of mud onto me! As I laughed and kicked my boots to splash her, she continued to throw mud at me without ever breaking eye contact.

Once we both had our fill of muddy mayhem, she gave me a giant muddy kiss on the chin to say “good night” and I’d like to think we both spent the rest of the night smiling while thinking about the fun we had just shared.

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