When pregnant Bonnie first arrived at Crazy Croft Rescue near Peterhead, she was given no chance of survival or successfully giving birth.
The donkey was very thin and in poor health, leading vets to recommend that she be put to sleep.
But against all odds, Bonnie gave birth to a foal named Miracle, proving everyone wrong.
And the resilient duo became viral TikTok stars, with a video of the moment Miracle was born being viewed hundreds of thousands of time.Â
Sadly, Bonnie has since died but her offspring Miracle – also known as Squirt – is still going strong at three-months-old.
Christmas ‘Miracle’ makes garden centre appearance
Miracle was recently a special guest at Simpsons Garden Centre in Mintlaw – so The Press and Journal popped along to visit the special foal in person.
In his Santa costume, Miracle proved a huge hit with staff and customers.
Posing for photographs in Simpsons’ grotto, the youngster got some snaps alongside Santa and one of his elves.
Despite being his first time away from the farm, Miracle was extremely well-behaved, eyeing up a tasty-looking Christmas tree in the grotto.
He made the journey in the horse trailer, which was another first for the young foal.
A spokesperson for Simpsons Garden Centre said: “It was such a special moment for all of us, Miracle’s visit was a lovely surprise for our customers.
“Seeing him so calm and comfortable on his first outing, especially after losing his mum just two days ago, was truly heart-warming.
“At only 12-weeks-old, and being taken care of so well, he lifted our spirits and brought smiles to everyone’s faces.”
Miracle donkey has come a long way
Louise Thomas, who runs Crazy Croft, expressed her pride at how far Miracle has come.
“Hasn’t he done flaming well? I thought he would do a runner with that elf!” she said.
“He was absolutely brilliant, nothing phased him.”
It has been a challenging week for everyone at Crazy Croft following Bonnie’s passing.
She had been battling laminitis, a painful condition that affects the feet of horses, ponies, and donkeys.
Louise said: “It’s been horrendous. We’re all feeling it and so is Squirt. He had been beside himself the past few days.
“I think today has done him the world of good though, despite being a tired boy now.”
Louise and the crew at Crazy Croft welcomed a new pregnant donkey to the farm this week.
“She was very poorly when she first came in,” Louise added. “But she’s on her way now. We’ve also had several horses arrive over the last couple of months.
“It’s going to be a challenge as vet bills are very expensive and it takes a lot of effort. We haven’t had time off in years, but I would rather be saving animals.”
To donate to Crazy Croft Rescue, click here.
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