When orphaned donkey Tina met Babe the sheep, it was love at first sight.
All of our visits to our Donkey Guardians normally involve visiting donkeys and mules, but in this one guardian home we had the pleasure of visiting a donkey called Tina and a sheep called Babe.
Twelve years ago Tina sadly lost her mother while in her guardian home. Tina never got on very well with other donkeys apart from her mother, so we were worried after the loss of her mum that she would become very lonely.
Babe the sheep lived on a farm close by and had been a loving mum to many until her udder became damaged and prevented her from having any more lambs.
The farmer’s wife had hand-reared Babe and couldn’t bear for her to meet her end. So this is how the magical friendship began.
Babe needed a home and Tina desperately needed a companion to help her through the loss of her mum, and the rest is history.
You have to be very careful when introducing a donkey to a sheep as they can object to it, but for Tina and Babe it was love at first sight. They became the best of friends and started to follow each other around the paddock and soon began to cuddle up together at night.
Tina always took a few days to recognise Babe after she was sheered for the summer, but Tina soon learnt that her best friend needed this crazy hair trim every year.
Tina is now hitting 30 years of age and Babe is 15, which is old for a sheep due in no small part to the fabulous care they both receive in their loving foster home.
It’s an absolute joy for us to witness such a friendship between two unassuming animals that found one another at a most poignant time in their lives. A huge thank you to Tina and Babe’s caring guardian home who have lovingly completed both their lives.