2-day-old miniature donkey Rosalia gets rejected by mom at birth, then gets adopted by kind farmers who discover that she's actually an adorably tiny troublemaker

Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager

Oct 12, 2026 9:00 AM EDT

What's better: getting to live with the cuteness of a miniature donkey or having an orderly household? I think we all know the answer to that question.

There are some things we, as humans, will be lucky to even experience once in our lifetimes. Winning the lottery, the problem not magically fixing itself the second you ask someone for help, or your dad telling you that he's proud of you (just me?). Well, I have one more thing to add to that list, and it might just find itself in the #1 place in my book: adopting a miniature donkey.

If you didn't know miniature donkeys were a thing, you're welcome. They look exactly like donkeys, but are forever small, making them infinitely cuter. Turns out they're a whole separate breed, not like toy poodles that are "bred down" to get smaller and smaller. They're born that small, and might be the most perfect animals on the whole planet.

Rosalia was rejected by her mother at birth, due to "birth psychosis." Basically, after she gave birth to Rosalia, she rejected her as her baby and refused to acknowledge her. It sounds harsh, but it's not so uncommon in animals. The same thing happened to Punch, the monkey, that viral Japanese macaque that had the whole internet obsessed with him for months. At only 2 days old, Rosalia needed some sort of mother figure, or else she might not survive. Luckily, a kind couple with a farm decided to take her in. If only they knew what they were getting into back then!

Just kidding, Rosalia is still adorable and one of the cutest pets I've ever seen. She is, however, a sassy little diva and a troublemaker! Her human parents often find her stealing dish towels or rearranging furniture, just because.

Rosalia's story is a reminder that the animal kingdom can be much harsher than ours, and one that our human brains can't quite comprehend. But, as long as there are kind farmers like the ones who adopted Rosalia, there will always be a place for animals needing a mama and papa.

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As humans we really romanticize the maternal instinct, and if the world were a Disney movie, every mother would love their baby more than anything in the world. Unfortunately, we don't live in a Disney movie, and not all babies (even baby animals) get the gift of growing up with their moms. In the wild, survival of the fittest reigns supreme. Many times, mothers will abandon injured or sick babies, prioritizing their own survival and the survival of their other babes instead of one. It's harsh by our standards, but you have to put yourself in the mind of a wild animal, 95% of your life is spent surviving. There isn't much room for empathy.
Also, we have the brain capacity to understand the concept of birth. No other animals do, so suddenly popping out some babies might be a scary experience for some new moms! If you combine that with a problem recognizing their offspring or some hormonal disruption, you can easily get to a place where the mom would reject their baby completely.
I know this all sounds quite heavy, but remember, this story has a happy ending! It was all for the best, because Rosalia got adopted and is living her best life on the farm with her human parents. She's spoiled rotten!
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