Pete moved in with his new family yesterday. Besides having a new home, he's going to have a new name. 'Pete' is a boyfriend & that could set up a whole bunch of issues, so they are renaming him - perhaps the Iroquois word for 'Little Protector' - which I can't remember, but was really pretty.
It's so bittersweet for me when my babies move away. I am happy for them - that they will be loved & cherished and will bring such joy to a family - especially when it's their first introduction to how sweet and wonderful long-earred friends are.
But I always have a few quiet tears. Not for the baby, but for the mamas. To listen to them call and cry just tears my heart out every single time. Even though Pete was very independent & didn't hang out with Samantha much anymore, she paced the field looking for him and called for hours. I could hear her mournful bray in the middle of the night. She has a three year old daughter, who moved right in by her side as soon as Pete left. She's been feeling totally left out since he came along & welcomed the opportunity to snuggle up with her mom again.
I can't imagine how hard that is for those dear sweet mamas, to have their babies taken. Some animals are quite happy to have their babes move on and out - I've seen that with the cats & the puppies. But donkeys are different. They are soulful animals. Twenty eight years of raising donkeys & it still tugs on my heart.
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