At the London Zoo, I decided to test my "horse-whispering" skills on a llama. I’d always found that a gentle, deep breath near a horse's nose was the ultimate ice-breaker—a way to build instant intimacy and trust.
I leaned in, eyes locked with the llama’s, and channeled all the calm, spiritual goodwill I could muster. I prepared for a moment of profound interspecies connection.
The llama, however, had a different communication style.
Before I could even finish my first "peace-offering" exhale, it launched a high-velocity, impeccably aimed spray of spit directly into my face.
As I stood there, stunned and dripping, a childhood memory flickered into view: a scene from Tintin where the exact same thing happens to a furious Captain Haddock. I’d read the warnings decades ago, but clearly, I’d forgotten the most important rule of the Andes.
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