Matilda the burro is a real doll. She is a very small burro and was very skinny, muddy and ill kept looking when we first got her. I am so glad we are able to give her a good and loving home. The BLM paper work shows that she was captured in 1995 and her freeze brand indicates that she was born in 1983 which means that she was 20 years old when we got her on January 17, 2003. Her capture area was: CA 06Z - outside HMA. Capture date: 10-3-95 Closest town: Earp county/state: San Bernardino/CA Matilda is getting used to her new home, but she is still very shy. When I first approached and touched her she would stand still but really tense up, like she was afraid my touch would hurt her. The second day she was here when I stood next to her and hugged her a bit she actually got the hiccups. Poor baby! We got her original BLM paper work for her and we sure don't mind that she is 20 years old. Not really old for a burro since they can live to a ripe old age of 40 + years. Her being older is actually better for us as part of the reason we wanted a burro was to keep my husband Cliff's 26 year old horse Poncho company when we take Vic and and my BLM mustang Romeo out for rides. And also, since she is so gentle and sweet, our grandkids will be able to work with her much sooner than if we had gotten a young wild one. She was captured in 1995 at the age of 12 which means she has had 8 horrible years in captivity from the looks of her. She should be much happier now that she has a dry shelter with no mud that she has to stand in and is getting good food and care. At first she seemed to have NO idea how to take a treat from my hand. I had to show her how to do it. After a few fumbles and shy attempts she got the hang of it. We were told that she had never brayed at her last home. The very first time I left her in her new pen on day 1 she started to bray. What a beautiful sound that was. Each day now she is becoming more and more vocal. This girl seems to have a very large vocabulary and wants to talk now, it is like she has wanted to talk for so long but there was no one to listen to what she had to say. Now it is like she just wants to get it all out, and talk and talk and talk! I LOVE it. She snuffs, she squeaks, she gargles, she brays and every combination in between! It is SO cute! I am SO glad we took Matilda in and did not wait for the next BLM adoption to get a wild one which was our original plan, she really did need rescuing! I don't think she has ever been shown much, if any, love or affection. But she well soon be spoiled rotten around here, and her next 20 years or so should be much happier for her, and hopefully will make up for the ill treatment she has received from humans in the past!