Friendly, continued

The second day went much better. Working in early morning and late afternoon to avoid the 120-degree heat, the team used expert care and humane handling to rope, tie, place into slings and lift with a helicopter 27 burros from the canyon’s valley. At the top of the canyon were temporary corrals. The 30 burro quota in 30 days became an easily attained achievement, but Amory’s Fund would not rest until every single burro was rescued.

Hundreds of people began to gather around and watch the airlift. The helicopter pilot gently maneuvered the machine to let each burro down on his or her back in the net, and then immediately, another crew of workers would rush over, untie the sling and throw it back into the helicopter so it was ready for the next rescue. Another team, which included a veterinarian and veterinary students from University of California at Davis, would examine each animal, untie his or her legs, and release the burro to roam freely within the corral atop the canyon.

The entire rescue ended up being a two-year operation, during which no animal or person was injured. In the end, the last of 577 burros were carefully airlifted out of the Grand Canyon.

A Burro Named Friendly

Of all the burros The Fund and Amory rescued, there was one clear favorite. She was the one that did not trot away from her rescuers but stood her ground and eventually even came closer.

“Friendly had come up in a sling in the very first batch of burros, and I was in the corral when she was lifted up over the rim and delicately dropped to the ground,” Amory writes in his last book, Ranch of Dreams. “I was one of the crew who untied her.…She must have thought…we all were [crazy.] But she also realized, I felt then and still feel, that no one had really hurt her, and therefore we were not all bad.” In spite of the chaos of whirring helicopters, being roped and tied up, and finally lifted 7,000 feet out of the canyon, Friendly seemed to have a perspective the other burros did not.

One evening Amory went to the corral to look for Friendly, who would typically approach him immediately. “I kept walking up to burro after burro [but] I could not find her,” he writes. He heard the cowboys, who were sitting on the corral fence, laughing at him, and when he turned around there was Friendly. She had been following him so closely he couldn’t see her.

Friendly was one of the first burros to reach Black Beauty Ranch. Pregnant at the time of her rescue from the Grand Canyon, she gave birth to a foal some months after arrival at the ranch. The foal, Friendly Two, was introduced to Amory by Friendly herself. Her usual greeting to Amory was to shove her head into his stomach. This time, she brought her baby over to Amory and instead shoved the baby into Amory, who proceeded to hug and talk to Friendly Two. Then, Friendly shoved the baby out of the way and inserted her own head back into Amory’s stomach; she obviously still wanted most of his affections for herself.

Friendly is Still Home on the Ranch

Today, Friendly, who is approximately thirty years old, is in her senior years and has lost some teeth. She receives tender loving attention from staff members, a special diet for senior equines, and regular farrier care. Each spring, she gets a haircut to help her keep cool. She has two favorite burro companions and also interacts with other animals on the ranch, including Babe, the rescued African elephant and Abigail, the rescued pot-bellied pig.

Friendly is good company any day, and when someone she knows sits near her, she will approach and stand close by. She may nudge you in the stomach, which we think means, “Pet me!” If you put your head to hers, she will stand for a long time just touching heads with you, sometimes closing her eyes. She seems to appreciate this kind of exchange, simply sharing the same space, experiencing each other’s breathing. While no one can take Amory’s place in Friendly’s life, the current ranch staff certainly enjoys visiting with her every day.

Friendly’s presence is a constant reminder of the miraculous beginning of the ranch. While there was a second large burro rescue a few years later by The Fund from the Death Valley National Monument as well as countless rescues of other species over the decades, the history for the ranch began with that initial Grand Canyon airlift—and with Friendly. Friendly’s slow and purposeful stroll, her distinctive bray to her compatriots, and her gentle manner continue to inspire all those fortunate enough to know her. Her silhouette is unmistakable against the evening sunset of East Texas, and each morning, we are happy to see her once again.

Related Links

Read about The Fund for Animals' rescue of goats from San Clemente Island in California.

Posted: September 6, 2006