The bonds that can form between animals of different species never cease to amaze. Sometimes, an animal is adopted and accepted by a different species as if it were their own.
This extraordinary case recently came to light when a donkey, long presumed dead, was found living with a surprising new family.
In March, triathlete and outdoorsman Max Fennell was on a hunting trip when he noticed something unusual among a herd of elk: a donkey! Fennell was stunned, calling it “one of my wildest hunting trips to date.” The donkey moved and reacted with the herd as if it were one of the elk, fully accepted as part of the group. It was like something out of a children’s storybook.
“I can’t get over seeing it, and I’m amazed that the donkey looks happy and healthy!” Fennell wrote on Instagram. But the unusual sight wasn’t the end of the story; Fennell soon learned the donkey’s incredible background.
One commenter informed him that the donkey was “actually a legend” and had been “running with the elk for years now.”
Then, the donkey’s former owner commented, revealing that the animal ended up with the elk after going missing five years ago.
“It was heartbreaking at the time,” David Drewry wrote. “Glad to see he is helping the herd grow.”
David and his wife Terrie live on a ranch near Auburn, California. They explained that the donkey, named Diesel, went missing in 2019 during a hiking trip. They believe a mountain lion likely scared him off, and after years without any sign of Diesel, they assumed he was gone for good.
To their astonishment, Diesel wasn’t dead; he had simply found a new family and a new life among the wild elk. The former owners were delighted to see their old friend alive and thriving.
“It was amazing. It was like, oh my gosh. Finally, we saw him. Finally, we know he’s good. He’s living his best life. He’s happy. He’s healthy, and it was just a relief,” Terrie told CBS Sacramento.
“Two completely different creatures, but they learn to get along and be each other’s family.”
Not only did the elk accept Diesel as one of their own, but Diesel has also been protecting the herd from predators like coyotes and mountain lions.
Now 8 years old, Diesel has spent most of his life among the elk, and his owners say it would be “next to impossible” to bring the “wild burro” home. They’ve accepted that it’s best to let him remain in the wild, as it seems Diesel has found his true calling.
“He’s out there doing what he’s raised to do,” Terrie said.
