A donkey beloved by his village in Spain has reemerged unharmed after vanishing for days following a series of deadly storms.
Espinete sparked concern when he went missing from Ribera del Marco, in the central region of Caceres.
The 15-year-old wandered away from his finca near Alto de Fuente Fria last Sunday afternoon.
Locals launched a community-led search and appeals on social media to find him.
According to his owner, Pedro Moreno, Espinete was spotted by a young woman on Wednesday near an olive grove not far from where he was last seen – after she recognised him from the news and got in touch.
‘It was an incredible miracle,’ Moreno told local media, expressing his joy and gratitude for the help from neighbours and passers-by who joined the search.
The donkey reportedly slipped through an open gate at a nearby olive grove when workers were moving sheep, sealing himself inside without anyone realising.
Espinete is one of the few donkeys living in the Ribera del Marco area, a species considered at risk on the Iberian Peninsula.
Moreno believes Espinete may have been searching for a new companion after the recent death of his partner, Fermina.
