The neglected donkey had never been raised among other donkeys, the herd at the sanctuary quickly accepted him as one of their own until his death.
A herd of donkeys shared a heartbreaking moment as they brayed in unison over the body of a fallen friend.
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Bram the donkey was rescued by the Stichting de Ezelshoeve animal sanctuary in the Netherlands two years ago. He was found severely neglected, with his hooves and lungs damaged beyond repair.
"We knew that he was very sick and it was just a matter of time," the rescue's founder Jacqueline van den Berg told CBS News. "All we could do was give him medication, nurse him, and give him all our love."
Though the elderly donkey had never been raised among other donkeys, the herd at the sanctuary quickly accepted him as one of their own until his death.
"The day came that Bram was not able to walk anymore, despite the medication we gave him for the pain in his hooves," van den Berg told CBS News. "But when he was laying down, his lungs were compressed by his body, and breathing was already difficult. So, he was choking and smothering himself."
Finally, the sanctuary owners made the difficult decision to have Bram euthanized.
In a video later recorded by the sanctuary, the herd can be seen spending one final moment with Bram, and wishing him a heartbreaking farewell.
The herd can be seen crowding around Bram's body as they discovered him motionless on a tarp.
Loudly, they bray in unison, almost as if they were mourning or crying over the fallen member of their herd.
"Bram is part of their herd and they respect him," van den Berg told The Dodo.
Moefra, the black and white leader of the herd, can even be seen licking Bram's face and nudging his body in an attempt to wake him.
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"It's real mourning for a close friend. You can hear them cry. It's not the same sound as braying," van den Berg interpreted, according to the Dodo. "Donkeys make friends for life."
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