"..and the lion shall lie down with the lamb..."
But not yet! So I am not hugging any of them!
In all seriousness, she better be careful, an animal can be unpredictable and can turn at any time. If she must hug it, if she insists and can't be talked out of it, doing it like she did through a cage is smart, she'll have a decent chance of staying alive should the animal turn on her.