The tale of a giant Marshmallow that had a narrow escape from a raging fire has turned out to have a happy ending.
A Van Stadens pet owner’s pig has made a full recovery after being badly burnt in the blaze that swept through the area 18 months ago.
Watching her lying in her own personal mud pool, it is difficult to imagine that Marshmallow the pig went through such a hectic ordeal.
In June 2017 she sustained serious burns when she had to run through fire to safety.
Her owner, Gary Corson, 51, said the pig was his “braai buddy” and a beloved family pet.
Corson’s home burnt down in a fire in Van Stadens Gorge, one of many devastating blazes that broke out in large swathes of the southern Eastern Cape and Garden Route in 2017.
The fire spread so fast from the mountain that the family had only four minutes to evacuate safely before their entire house burnt to the ground.
They lost one of their cats in the blaze but could save another, along with their 12 dogs.
Marshmallow was used to fire as she was fond of joining the family when they braaied.
“We called her and she ran through the flames to get to us,” Corson’s wife, Jeanine, said.
“Her tummy and feet got burnt quite badly. For several weeks after the fire we had to spoon-feed her as she could only lie on her side,” Jeanine said.
With this tender loving care, the pig made it through.
Soon Marshmallow was up and waddling about but mostly wallowing in her mud pool – which is next to the caravan where the Corsons lived while rebuilding their lives.
“She just needs a beach umbrella,” Jeanine joked.