The Tortoise Snugglers

​"EQUAL AND OPPOSITE REACTIONS" AND "HAIL MARY" ARE AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.

HTTP://AMZN.TO/2XVCGRA
​
HTTPS://WWW.AMZN.COM/1684334888

​THE TORTOISE SNUGGLERS

     Let's face it, everybody needs a little dose of cheer these days.
    And while we all enjoyed the fly on Mike Pence's head last night during his debate with Kamala Harris,

...we here in Columbus, Ohio were treated to a nice little pick-me-up yesterday morning when we turned to the front page of the Metro section of the Columbus Dispatch.
     Framed by stories of another shooting and a rise in local domestic and gun violence was a different kind of story: one about a group of volunteers whose job and joy it is to snuggle with and otherwise pamper the giant tortoises at the Columbus Zoo.
     Bubba and and Sonny, born 73 and 53 years ago respectively on islands in the Indian Ocean, love them some TLC, and members of a group known around the zoo as the "Tortoise Snugglers" come to the giant tortoises three times a week to provide them some. 
    Volunteers such as Peggy Heffemire, 

​...will spend several hours at a stretch giving Bubba and Sonny affection, attention, snuggles, neck and leg rubs, and they brush their shells.
      Ms. Heffemire  spoke to the Dispatch of how the tortoises, who relish human interaction, react to the attention, how it stimulates them and increases their appetites. "They respond to us. They stand up and start moving around."

    "I constantly talk to the tortoises," said Ms. Heffemire. "I greet them, ask them how they are, tell them how wonderful they are, talk about current events, the weather, etc. Sometimes I sing; the animal care staff will play music for them."  She said that the key to being a successful volunteer is patience and a positive attitude.
      But there has to be more to it. Something that comes from the heart.
     I'll just end this little story by saying God bless these kind volunteers who are a blessing to these gentle giant creatures. In a world where kindness and gentleness are in such short supply, maybe what the world needs now is more Tortoise Snugglers.

Reference:​
https://www.dispatch.com/story/lifestyle/2020/10/06/powell-woman-describes-what-its-like-tortoise-snuggler/5877403002/