At Asinara there will no longer be his slow pace among the Mediterranean scrub and the curious glances of visitors. Severino, the most famous gray donkey on the island of Sardinia, died at the age of 32, after a long life spent between its past as a prison island and its transformation into a national park. Born in 1994 and raised by inmates and prison police officers, over the years he had become a true local institution.
In the last few days he appeared tired and tired, followed carefully by the Park operators. He moved away from the spotlight, just before the start of the tourist season. A silent exit for an animal that, without looking for it, had become a small celebrity, loved by anyone who set foot on the island.
A star loved by tourists and visitors
For many visitors the first question, as soon as they landed, was always the same: “Where is Severino?“. The donkey spent his days mainly in Campu Perdu, where he let himself be approached, photographed and caressed. Over time he had become the most immortalized subject of Asinara, the protagonist of selfies, postcards and travel memories.
His popularity had even transcended national borders. The tourists, who returned home, continued to ask for news about him, while on social media – where there is also a page just for him – images and stories dedicated to the “boss of Asinara”, a nickname born for his quiet but authoritative character among the other donkeys on the island, were circulating.
The long life between prison and national park
The history of Severino is intertwined with that of the island. In fact, he experienced the transition from the penitentiary Asinara to the current naturalistic reality, becoming a silent witness of a historical change. Raised among prisoners and agents, he then remained in the Park, where he continued to live free and become a symbol of the local fauna.
In 2023 the operators had organized an informal party for his 30th birthday, considered symbolically equivalent to about a century of human life. Despite his advanced age, Severino continued to patiently pose for photographs, like a wise old man accustomed to the presence of people.
The void left by the “boss” of the island
With its passing, Asinara loses one of its most recognizable faces, its mascot. There will be no more photos with Severino, nor his braying as a backdrop to the excursions. However, the guides will continue to tell its story, which has now become part of the identity of the place. A simple animal, which has become a symbol of the island, capable of uniting past and present and transforming itself, without wanting to, into one of the figures most loved by visitors.
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