You may notice that we generally didn't use gloves with Merak. Towards the end of her time with us, she became testy. Sometimes she would caution Barry when he was showing her to a school class. "That's enough", she seemed to be saying, as she gripped his arm increasingly firmly. Generally, though, her hold on us was gentle. She used only enough pressure to stay balanced, usually on a forearm, occasionally, awkwardly, on a shoulder, and, once, on the head of a CBC interviewer who was doing a television feature about her.