Missing 28-year-old donkey found dead, believed to have been killed by cougar
The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.
Goliath was found dead and is believed to have been killed by a cougar.
He had gone missing from his longtime home at a veterinary hospital south of Calgary.
Judith Samson-French posted about Goliath's disappearance on social media Tuesday.
He was part of a five-donkey crew in residence at the Banded Peak Veterinary Hospital in Bragg Creek, Alta., for a quarter-century.
In an interview with CTV News, Samson-French said she woke up Tuesday to feed Goliath his usual breakfast of blueberry muffins and carrots, only to discover he was missing.
The other four donkeys acted as though nothing was amiss, Samson-French said.
A search of the property, which Samson-French described as a 24-acre fenced-in site, yielded no signs of Goliath – no fence breaks, no hair caught on the fence and no sign of an animal kill, although some fresh cougar poop was discovered.
A search of the adjacent property with some of the hospital's resident dogs also yielded no sign of Goliath.
The search grew.
On Wednesday afternoon, Jann Arden posted to X, "THIS IS MY VETS BELOVED DONKEY!! Please help if you know anything!!!"
Later in the day, Arden posted to X again with a tragic update:
"Update... poor Goliath was found partly buried– a cougar kill. Thanks for re tweeting this post and helping us to try and solve this sad mystery. RIP GOLIATH"
Samson-French posted to Facebook on Wednesday night, confirming the donkey's death:
"Goliath was sadly found dead with puncture wounds in his throat and 3/4 buried with soil and branches – likely a cougar kill," she wrote.
"After having enjoyed a fab life for 25 years at Banded Peak Vet Hospital, and a peaceful co-existence with predators, the decision was made in a second to move the remaining 4 donkeys, Tumbleweed, Daisy, Bluebell, and Primrose to safer grounds."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING India withdraws Canada envoy named in probe, expels diplomats
India ordered the expulsion of six Canadian diplomats on Monday and withdrew its own envoy from Canada, in response to what it said was Ottawa's decision to name him and others as 'persons of interest' in an investigation.
Ontario police say 'escalating incidents' between high schools connected to deadly crash
'Escalating incidents' between two Hamilton high schools are believed to be connected to a car crash last week that left a 15-year-old boy dead, police say.
Undercooked bear meat linked to outbreak of rare parasitic disease in U.S.
An outbreak of a rare parasitic disease has been linked to undercooked bear meat eaten by dozens of people at a gathering in North Carolina, a new U.S. CDC report has revealed.
Canadian drink company tastes controversy after Simu Liu raises cultural appropriation questions
Controversy bubbled for a Canadian drink company after its founders drew the ire of a Marvel superhero on an episode of a 'Shark Tank'-style reality series.
'We apologize to anyone we've offended': Bath and Body Works pulls candles over backlash
A major American retailer has stopped selling its new winter-themed candle over backlash from shoppers who said its design resembled Ku Klux Klan hoods.
Striking images show rare floods in the largest hot desert on Earth
Striking images from the Sahara Desert show large lakes etched into rolling sand dunes after one of the most arid, barren places in the world was hit with its first floods in decades.
Father of 10-year-old girl found dead in the U.K. called police from Pakistan to say he killed her
The father of a 10-year-old girl found dead in her home in England fled to Pakistan and called U.K. police from there to say he had killed her, a jury heard Monday.
NASA spacecraft rockets toward Jupiter's moon Europa in search of the right conditions for life
A NASA spacecraft rocketed away Monday on a quest to explore Jupiter’s tantalizing moon Europa and reveal whether its vast hidden ocean might hold the keys to life.
British content creator dies trying to climb Spain’s highest bridge
A 26-year-old British man has died after falling from Spain’s tallest bridge during an attempt to climb one of its pylons.