How Farmer Comforts Donkey With 'Calming Presence' During Hurricane Milton
A video of a farmer comforting his donkey during Hurricane Milton has gone viral on TikTok, amassing 1.4 million views in just 13 hours.
The video, shared by the account @oursimplehomestead, which documents life on a hobby farm in Clermont, Florida, shows a man and his donkey, Cash, watching a video together on a computer in their home as the storm rages outside. The scene highlights the deep bond between people and their animals and the lengths some will go to protect them.
Despite a Voluntary Evacuation Order issued for Lake County—advising residents in mobile homes, RVs and flood-prone areas to leave—the couple chose to stay. In the video's caption, the owner explains that evacuating the animals "would be too hard."
The clip, captioned: "Cash is in for the night. He has such a calming presence. It's starting to get windier and windier as the daylight fades," has racked up 93,000 likes.
They received a flood of support from over 3,000 users, many of whom expressed their concerns.
"As a person who has many animals and would do the same, I am very proud of you," said one user.
"Glad he is inside. I wonder if he senses anything about the weather. Or your other animals. Be safe," said another. A third user added: "I'm really hoping everything turns out okay, and all of you will be safe."
"You can tell how much they are loved! That donkey's face as cuddling dad! praying for you all!" commented a fourth person, a sentiment echoed by thousands more users from all over the world, many of whom are asking for an update out of concern for the couple's safety.
Hurricane Milton has caused widespread devastation across Florida, leaving homes damaged, millions without power and some lives lost. According to NBC News, deaths have been confirmed in St. Lucie County, where tornadoes were reported to have touched down along the Atlantic coast.
Over 3 million homes—including the farmer's—are without power, according to PowerOutage.us. Another video, posted in the early hours of this morning, shows multiple dogs and Cash settling down for the night with their doting owner in bed.
"I love the way you have the donkey with you, keep safe," wrote one U.K. user, while another added: "I am so invested in your household!!! Please share the good news soon. Need to start healing my broken heart. Love and prayers from Texas."
Newsweek reached out to @oursimplehomestead for comment via TikTok. We couldn't verify the details of the case.
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