How do you think animals show their affection?
For dog lovers, if your dog flips on its back and shows you its belly, it means that they trust you. For cat lovers, slowly blinking your eyes and receiving that kind of greeting in response is a sign of comfort.
Other animals, however, have much more interesting ways to show appreciation or maybe even gratitude. We’ve seen animals kiss other humans but have you seen one hugging a person?
There’s a superstar in the Kangaroo Sanctuary in Alice Springs.
And no, we’re not talking about animals who can do tricks like jumping through loops or juggling. Abigail the Kangaroo is known for something much more adorable.
You see, for 15 years, Abigail has been showing something that she’s really good at – giving hugs to everyone around her.
Dubbed “Queen Abi” in the reserve, she has always been generous in showing everyone affection.
The sanctuary’s social media sites are filled with photos of her hugging sanctuary workers, carers, and even guests.
She’d often wrap her arms around someone and nuzzle their head into their necks or faces. Kangaroos may not be blessed with long arms, but that didn’t stop Abigail from embracing people.
This made her well-known to carers but also to guests.
Some staff members say they look forward to Abi’s hugs. Those who were lucky enough to be allowed into the 180-acre wildlife reserve got to experience this emotional treat as well.
But despite this adorably sweet disposition, things weren’t always this warm and happy. She was found as a five-month-old orphan who had to soldier on from a very young age.
Kangaroos are known to be social animals.
According to a study quoted by the Smithsonian Magazine, kangaroos communicating with humans is not as farfetched as others perceive.
This discovery challenged the notion that only domesticated animals like dogs, cats, horses, and goats, are capable of communicating with humans. It also revealed that marsupials are much more intelligent than we give them credit for.
In the study, captive but undomesticated kangaroos showed capabilities in communication with humans. Their responses range from looking intently at researchers for help or looking back and forth between a human and an object of interest.
It might not be surprising that Abigail knows how to connect to the people who took care of her.
As for the people working with Abigail, they deserve all the hugs from their kangaroo pod. The sanctuary first started in 2005 serving baby kangaroos. Then, they expanded into their current area back in 2011.
The sanctuary’s mission is to take in orphaned kangaroos, rehabilitate them then release them into the wild. The sanctuary also wants to be an education center for other wildlife carers and the general public like schools and tourists.
Their work was featured in the documentary Kangaroo Dundee, in which the film showed the lives of the sanctuary’s rescue kangaroos – including Abigail.
Watch how this kangaroo shows her gratitude and affection to people.
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