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Donkey Overcome With Grief After Losing Her Best Friend Refuses to Leave His Grave

A sad donkey laying in a grassy field.
A sad donkey laying in a grassy field. Image via Shutterstock/mark gusev

The bonds that many animals develop with one another can be just as strong and meaningful as the relationships that we humans form with them and each other. When they lose those friendships, they're equally as devastated. Beth, a donkey who lives on TikToker @taylortillotson's farm, recently lost her best friend, and there's no denying she is truly missing her bestie.

"Beth has been grieving her friend on his grave for three weeks. BRB crying forever," @taylortillotson wrote in the display text of the clip. She's clearly heartbroken over her friend, and in the clip, she refuses to leave her friend's grave. Grab your tissues now because this video is a tearjerker!

@taylortillotson

Donkeys are highly intelligent and emotional creatures. Beth watched Buddy go in his final resting place 3 weeks ago and spends most of every day right there with him. This is one of the most heartbreaking things I've witnessed on my farm journey. #donkey#grief

Scott Street (Slowed Down) - Phoebe Bridgers

This is so sad! One thing we humans should know is that there's no timeline for someone who is work through their grief. That surely applies to Beth's grief over losing her pal, Buddy. Take a look at this tribute @taylortillotson shared for Buddy.

@taylortillotson

My heart has a donkey sized hole in it but I hope he RAN into donkey heaven on the strongest legs

nhạc nền - cblvvch - cblvvch

Donkeys Can Feel Strong Emotions

Like many animals, donkeys experience emotions. In the post caption, @taylortillotson explained, "Donkeys are highly intelligent and emotional creatures," and this is true. According to a study by The Donkey Sanctuary, donkeys have great memories and can solve problems. The study also stated that they can remember positive and negative situations for quite a while, and, similar to Beth, those sad memories can cause their behavior patterns to shift or change.

@taylortillotson went on to describe Beth's behavior after losing Buddy, and added, "Beth watched Buddy go in his final resting place three weeks ago and spends most of every day right there with him. This is one of the most heartbreaking things I've witnessed on my farm journey."

Related: Moment Gentle Giant Horse Meets Baby Mini Donkey for First Time Will Melt Any Heart

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Many commenters shared her sadness. "Oh, I just want to hug her. Sweet girl!" declared @ausjenn7402, and @thesweetzspot added, "Aww, Beth . Sending her some cuddles."

"We can be there for them, but they do need to grieve like we do. Time will help their ," @skypanther5 advised.

Losing someone you care for is hard. Here's hoping that Beth will heal from the loss of her friend and she can hold on to the good memories they shared.

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This story was originally published April 18, 2026 at 7:20 AM.

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