Day-old donkey left alone after mom is killed by car gets new home — and special name

A baby donkey was left alone when his mama was hit and killed by a car on an Arizona highway, officials said.

Now, the 1-day-old baby boy has a new home and a very fitting name.

On Sept. 5, the baby donkey was with his mother on State Route 74 near Lake Pleasant when he suffered injuries after his mother was fatally struck by a car, according to a post on Facebook by the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

The little donkey remained nearby and was eventually rescued by one of the responding officers, Sgt. Roger Hansen, officials said.

Hansen knew the baby wouldn’t survive in the wild on his own, so he made a call to Stacie Thomas with the One Step Wild Burros and Mustang Rescue in New River, the department said.

After Thomas agreed to take in the little fella, Hansen “carefully loaded up the little burro in the back of his patrol vehicle,” officials said.

After arriving at the shelter, the baby was introduced to three nursing mama donkeys and took a liking to one named Noel, according to a Sept. 5 Facebook post by the rescue center.

After Noel let him “gorge,” the “lil man” took a nap before starting to practice how to use his legs, the rescue center said.

Although the rescue center found scrapes, bruises and some cactus on his legs, “he is doing everything a new baby should be doing,” the center said.

Thomas’ grandson named the “little guy” Roger, after the sergeant who rescued him, officers said.

As for where Roger will be in the future, a trooper plans to adopt him when he’s old enough to leave the rescue, officials said.

Lake Pleasant is about 40 miles northwest of Phoenix.

This story was originally published September 14, 2023 at 10:50 AM with the headline "Day-old donkey left alone after mom is killed by car gets new home — and special name."