Morningside Cuesta isn't hope an animal?

He does not notice her and she can’t make her legs move any closer. His bath continues in the stream, splashing back and forth and disappearing beneath the water (except for the top of his back and top of his tail) for longer than she feels is safe. Her breath catches in her throat in worry and all her legs jerk, throwing her forward a step or two, but she freezes when he throws his head back from the water. From where she stands, she can see his chest heave as he catches his breath and she doesn’t take any steps closer.

It will be easy to turn tail and leave, returning the way she’d come, but she followed it all the way here for a reason. Or that is what she tells herself, at least. She realizes after a moment she doesn’t know why she’d followed it or what she’d say to him if he were to notice her and so, with the blank slate still in her mind, she backs up and decides to retreat and face him another time.