In the lead-up and during final exams at UC Berkeley, half a dozen llamas and several chilled-out dogs were brought on campus to provide some distraction and to help students de-stress.
The llamas proved a popular draw on Friday last week, with hundreds of Cal students, as well as dozens of kindergarten and pre-school children, flocking to Memorial Glade to brush their coats, hug, feed and take selfies with them. The placid beasts were there as part of the inaugural student-government-funded Llamapalooza festival. The dogs visited on Tuesday in front of Moffitt Library.
Berkeleyside visual storytelling intern Lorin Eleni Gill caught the action at both events, and spoke to students, as well as the animal wranglers, about why communing with a furry friend can help calm people down. The video was produced by Evelyn Nussenbaum.
