Click here to go back to the resident directory.
Raymond's Journal.
Hi there! My name is Raymond, thank you for visiting!
I have been living here at the Indraloka Animal Sanctuary for 1 year and this is my story.
One of our volunteers has thoughtfully dug a huge wallow for Raymond and his buddies. Before that, they had a tub, but the wallow is a huge improvement! Now on a hot day, Raymond, Waldo, and Selick enjoy dipping into the cool water and then stretching out in the sun to dry. The slick mud conditions their skin and also offers protection from the sun and biting insects. We do have sun block for Raymond, but he is still too shy of humans to let us apply it. (Although he is never too shy to eat treats out of our hands!)
Raymond, Waldo, Selick, and Ming Nau all came to us in August from a very sad situation. They were among 55 pigs being severely neglected, and were taken away from filthy, unsafe, and cruel conditions by the Humane Society. Raymond, along with the other three here at the sanctuary, was deemed to be in the worst shape of all 55, and that is why he is here with us.
Looking at him now, it is difficult to imagine the emaciated, terrorized little piggy that we first met in a dark, dirty barn! Today, Raymond comes trotting out of his Yurt anytime he hears visitors approaching. With sparkling eyes and a wagging tail, it is easy to see how happy he is in his new home.
The Yurts are really quite impressive. They were donated by Folded Homes (www.foldedhomes.com), a company that manufactures them for humanitarian organizations. For example, in an area where there has been a terrible earthquake, or in a war-torn region where homes are destroyed, these shelters provide safe and comfortable housing for people in dire need. Now they also provide housing for pigs in dire need!
The shelters are insulated with straw and have stayed toasty and warm throughout this bitter winter season. They are roomy and light-filled inside, with doors and windows. There is even a chimney if you want to add a wood stove (which the pigs declined to do for safety reasons :-))
The Yurts were very easy to put together. We did it in a few hours with a group of volunteers and no tools. What a cool design, and what a generous donation to the sanctuary! Raymond, Waldo, and Selick are certainly happy!
