I love wild burros or donkeys. They are beautiful creatures, and very personable. They show feelings for their family members, gathering around a newborn baby burro and putting their heads up in the air to bray. Once when we drove through Reche Canyon in Southern California (about 35 minutes away from where we live), we stopped off the main road through there so that I could see the burros better. As soon as we were stopped, a family of a father, mother and two babies came up to the car on my side. The mother pushed the babies, one at a time, over to the window and allowed me to pet each of them and then she and the father turned the children and they began to walk slowly away.
We were glad to learn that Bob Barker, who is a genuine animal lover and who has provided rescue for many creatures, started Donkeyland. Before this, the donkeys, wandering wild through the canyon, had no fencing between them and the road through, and frequently got hit, breaking their legs or worse, and often resulting in their needing to be put down.
We can truly be happy that someone is caring about these creatures and making sure they are going to be safe. The rehab and rescue center is bring more of the wild burros regular, either injured or those who get rounded up to make sure they don’t get wounded.
If you like the wild burros and would like to help, you can go on Donkeyland.org and see more photos, as well as to contribute in some small way. Thank you kindly.
All in a Day's Breath 
Thank you so much, Patty. It is appreciated more than you can imagine.
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I had no idea that Bob Barker started Donkeyland. How wonderful!
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Me either, Jennie. He is a fantastic and truly giving person who has committed all his money to the cause of creating sanctuaries for all kinds of animals and toward protecting others that need care but cannot live in a sanctuary such as dolphins and whales. I love it when we find such kind people. Another person I greatly admire is Danny Thomas. Most people associate him with St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital or Shriner’s Hospital as it is also called, but he also created here in CA a rescue center for badly abused children who can never be returned to their homes for their own safety. I have such a heart for such children and for the creatures too. I don’t have money to contribute to them, but if I did, those two places plus the Veterans would be the things I would definitely donate to. My own younger and only sibling, Bobby, came home from Vietnam 100% disabled and it gave me a heart for that.
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I do love them! Oh my.
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There is something very family oriented and very loveable. That mother and dad bringing their little ones for me to see was so endearing. They were definitely proud of them. I read a post I believe by a lady who had lost her baby to an illness, and she was given or bought a male burro who had lost his tiny son as the baby got entangled in the barb wire fence, and the male could do nothing to rescue him no matter how hard he tried. He had been staying by the same spot mourning for more than a month, and barely eating or drinking and she somehow got the little burro. One evening in the fall, she lit a bonfire out in the field and was sitting there watching it. The burro, who was not far away, came and stood by her and she petted him and they watched the bonfire in peace and some sort of inner shared feelings. I don’t know how they can know these things, but it seems like they do. After that time, they would have a bonfire monthly and the burro would always come and share watching it with the lady. It is amazing how people and creatures can share things when they cannot speak the same language. Such a wonderful experience and I am sure it was healing for both of them, each in their own way. Happy Holiday, whichever things you celebrate this time of year. There is so much to celebrate – all my irises are coming into bloom (they grow very well in this area and spread too) and my fruit trees seem full of blooms and I am hoping they will get fruit this year.
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I have always loved donkeys and goats. I don’t know what it is about them. We don’t have wild ones here, but when I get to see them in the country or elsewhere, I love to stop to “talk” to them. I remember, quite a few years ago now, driving on the highway and looking in a field where a lone donkey stood in the middle looking for all the world as though he had lost his best friend. Sometime later I stopped at the farm to ask the owner about it. What drew my attention to this particular donkey was that it had patches of different colors–brown, white, black. The farmer let me take some photos while I was there. He said that the donkey was probably sad as they are animals that need company. By this time he had acquired another donkey, an ordinary brown one, and the “patchwork” donkey wasn’t lonely any more. I wrote a story about that donkey and did a couple of paintings for the cover and the inside and I called it “The Patchwork Donkey”. It has never been published as I need more pictures for the interior to make it into a children’s picture book. Maybe some day…
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Oh yes, they do seem to be companion animals and need others around them to be happy. And he might have lost some of his family when he was acquired, and they actually mourn for any of their friends who get lost or accidentally killed on the roads.
I hope that you can get the book published. It would make a wonderful children’s book and many children suffer from loneliness, especially the special needs children so it might help them to be ok and to know that sometime another friend might come to help keep them from being lonely. What a lovely story. You can check with Donkeyland.org, and they have so many photos. I am sure if you are able to give them credit, you might find one like that one. I really LOVE that title and think it has the makings of a great story!!! Do get it published. It sounds absolutely like a true winner.
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I do have a number of photos of this particular donkey, but I don’t want to use photos but original art. As I said, I have done one large painting, but of course for a picture book you need quite a few. If you want to read the story, it’s on my blog with the paintings I did. Here is the link.https://successbmine.wordpress.com/2018/08/27/the-patchwork-donkey/
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