Iole, a bionic donkey
Posted on 16 February 2016.What comes to mind if we say "bionic donkey""? A donkey version of Robocop?
You're way off: Iole is a tiny, furry donkey who totally looks alike a stuffed toy, nothing like a robot.
Yet she is known as our "bionic donkey": when she was a few months old, she suffered an accident that caused the fracture of the femur.
Considering her young age, her general health, and her huge will to live, our Vet decided to operate her: a delicate osteosynthesis surgery, which involved the used of some screws to hold together the fractured bones.
Six years have gone since that surgery: sometimes Iole limps a little (especially at change of seasons), but enjoys a happy life after all.
She lives together with small-sized elderly donkeys, where she has also met again her mother Madalina.
Today Iole is serene and rather than definitions or differences, she is concerned to find the most delicious grass before the others and to "make the street cleaner": in the morning, as soon as our Staff re-open the doors of the small stables which are temporarily kept shut to allow donkeys who need a bucket of extra food to eat their ration in peace, she gets into each one to check if there is some leftovers to nibble.
If you come to visit the donkeys, you cannot fail to recognize her: a funny face, a true passion for shoelaces (be careful not to get too close to the fence!) and, last but not least, the blue collar, symbol of the exclusive adoption, on which her adoptive family has asked to write her "new" name Iole de la Roche.
Strong as a rock and unstoppable: that's what our bionic donkey is. And, as every donkey does, she doesn't need to be a teacher to give us a precious lesson: never give up, never let the difficulties block your path.
