Every year on May 08th, World Donkey Day takes place. A viral TikTok video draws attention to these loyal and faithful animals that still suffer from their bad reputation worldwide.
The fact that donkeys are neither stubborn nor or stupid, as many still claim and want to believe, is proven by this touching TikTok video, which is literally to the I-Aah scream:
With over 53 million views and just under 11 million likes, the video had already gone viral in 2020 and was reposted by the owner due to its great notoriety.
As can be read in the description, donkey and mistress have not seen each other for some time: "I haven't seen my boy for a week, you could almost say he was excited 🥰."
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Owner Sophie calls for her donkey, which makes itself heard loudly before it is even seen in the video. Finally, he emerges from behind a grassy hill and when he sees his beloved human friend, there is no stopping him. With a wagging tail and pointed ears, he comes running hurriedly to pick up his well-deserved cuddle. When he finally arrives at Sophie's, he doesn't want to let her go and hardly leaves her side. The joyful sounds of the donkey in love send the TikTok community into ecstasy:
- "I don't think I've ever had a video that melted my heart like this! lol 😍😭😍😭 The way he calls out to you as soon as he hears😭😍🤩🥰 your voice"
- "I didn't even know that donkeys could purr... 🥰 Gorgeous!"
- "Oh no, how cute is that, please 🥺🥲❤️💋😻😻😻😻❤️💋💋🥰🥰🥰🥰"
- "This is my favorite video of all time 🥺🥺"
- "When the ears go back. 🥰🥰🥰🥰"
- "Oh my God... my heart 😂 he is so sweet and loves you so much ♥️ "
- "It makes my heart so happy"
- "I love that I ended up on donkey TikTok... I had no idea they were so emotional until TikTok 🥰🥰🥰"
Sophie Hodgson from North Carolina has almost 700,000 followers on TikTok and regularly shares cute videos of her donkeys, horses and chickens living together on a large farm on her account @_soph.xox._.
Prejudices about donkeys are untrue
We see that, contrary to the numerous prejudices, donkeys are very sociable and loyal animals that make true friendships. It is not for nothing that the donkey is considered one of the oldest pets of mankind. Donkeys are good-natured, extremely clever and also cultivate friendships within their donkey world: If, for example, one of them has to go to the veterinarian, it is recommended to let his so-called "buddy" come to him - this calms the donkey and reduces his stress.
In large parts of the world, donkeys live in precarious conditions. There is a lack of animal-friendly care and knowledge about the needs of the gentle animals. A common problem is the overloading of donkeys due to the lack of scientific data on species-appropriate loading. Donkeys are animals capable of suffering and therefore endure their suffering, but the price is high: serious injuries, hoof and joint problems are just some of the devastating consequences. The wild form of the domestic donkey, the African donkey, is now acutely threatened with extinction: Worldwide, only 200 to a maximum of 600 adult animals live, as the World Animal Welfare Society reports online. This makes them one of the most endangered among the horse-like animals.
Interesting facts about donkey hikes
Basically, the movement through large areas benefits the donkeys during the migrations. Most animals have a positive attitude towards humans and are curious, but the problem is that the donkeys usually cannot retreat when they feel uncomfortable.
If you are interested in a donkey walk, make sure that the provider provides qualified and experienced staff. If such hikes are not offered very frequently, this is a good sign. If there are many donkeys on the farm, this is also positive - this ensures that only the animals that want to go along to the tours and do not have to go along under duress.
Before a hike, there should also be a training for the participants.
In 2022, the donkey was given an extraordinary honor: The "Bündnis Mensch & Tier" foundation named the donkey Pet of the Year - on the grounds that the donkey could be an example of unbiased action. In addition, the foundation writes that there is no such thing as a stupid donkey, but rather "the donkey is a mirror of its owner. And so we can experience good-natured, satisfied and socially active donkeys where humans at their side are also open to good coexistence between humans and animals." Interested parties will also find a list of farms that enable animal-friendly encounters with donkeys.
