This is one of our lovely Jennys named “BonBon.” She is a gentle donkey and has an understated, soulful cry when she wants attention or is begging for a treat. She was originally from a farm in the Texoma area and was part of a group of donkeys that were a bit crowded there. She joined the sanctuary in November of 2010 and she was about ten or twelve years old at the time. That puts her at perhaps 20 years old. If she is very fortunate, she may live another 20 – 30 years. There are a few donkeys who have lived as long as 70 years, although that’s rare.
BonBon is well-behaved when it comes time to trim her hooves. She doesn’t like it but somehow she knows we are helping her so kicking up is at a minimum. She is also one of only three donkeys at the sanctuary who doesn’t need to be sedated to trim her hooves.
We did not know it at the time, but BonBon was pregnant by three months when she came to LGRS and she gave birth right on time in September of 2011 (donkeys have a twelve-month gestation period). Her foal was simply beautiful and we named him Nestle. This little boy never leaves sight of his mom and will cry if he can’t see her and go searching for her.
Although she does not run up to you for affection, she still loves to be stroked about the ears and face and will rub her head on your chest if you stand in front of her for a few minutes gently talking to her. Her gelding Nestle is very likely to nudge her away to get some attention of his own, so we try to give her extra time.
Are you interested in virtually adopting BonBon? If you would like to help her with veterinary bills, feed, and shared shelter, you can donate any monthly amount and receive personal updates on BonBon.
