back to article Special Projects Burro pops his hooves

It's with heavy hearts that we announce today the death of Aladdin – our Special Projects Burro. Aladdin poses for the camera Our asinine mascot was perfectly OK yesterday afternoon when I popped out to see that all was well with the donkey herd, but a couple of hours later he'd inexplicably gone hooves-up. There was no …

COMMENTS

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  1. Nya
    Unhappy

    Awww

    Poor lil fellow :(

  2. Don Jefe

    Bummer.

    Sorry for the loss. We had a horse die late last year, it sucks.

    Too bad you buried the burro. If you had cremated it you could have sent some ashes up with LOHAN.

  3. Parax
    Unhappy

    RIP Aladdin.

  4. Eugene Crosser

    Working donkeys in the poorest countries have a life expectancy of 12–15 years;[14] in more prosperous countries, they may have a lifespan of 30 to 50 years.[5]

    ... and he was less than two years old. so sad. poor chap!

    1. Hieronymus Howerd

      Hm, yes.

      Sad, but also highly suspicious. Surely at least some sort of cursory autopsy is in order, rather than "oh, whoops he's dead, quick let's hide him underground"?

  5. Alister
    Unhappy

    Bye, bye Burro...

    Sorry to hear that, a real shame.

  6. Charlie Clark Silver badge

    Skulduggery

    Are you sure it wasn't sabotage by a rival team possibly hoping to hijack any future asstronautical escapades.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Skulduggery

      Possibly the Russians trying to protect their lead in flying donkey technology?

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Disposal of Aladdin via medieval "Python" methods?

    Couldn't you just sling it over the fence at the French?

  8. Richard Ball

    What?

    No comments about dropping dead donkeys?

    Call this a tabloid?

    Shame on you all.

    (RIP Burro)

    1. TeeCee Gold badge

      Re: What?

      If you'd given me a fighting chance of getting in before posting that, there would have been one.....

      SPB needs a new mascot for the LOHAN programme then. If you have a flock of chickens, I suggest a large cock.

  9. The last doughnut
    Mushroom

    RIP

    On the plus side, it gives your local eaterie some fresh protein to put in one of their post-pub nosh specials.

  10. Michael H.F. Wilkinson Silver badge

    Sad news

    He has joined the choir invisible

    He has gone to meet his maker

    It is an ex-donkey

    RIP Aladdin

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Sad news

      'E's pining for Blackpool'

  11. Alex C
    Devil

    Sorry for your loss

    I do have another theory though.

    I've always thought that the Playmonaut had a nasty glint to his eye. Can we rule out ritual sacrifice to aid his upcoming mission? He's touched space and that changes a person, not always for the better.

  12. Neil 38

    Did I end up on imgur by mistake?

  13. Tim Bergel

    What a pity

    ... hope Katerina is not too upset

  14. LinkOfHyrule

    Awww, please accept my condolences.

  15. Dave 62
    Angel

    RIP

    This is an international tragedy.

    Aladdin needs a proper send off, something serious.. like a statue.. or.. a satelite!

    Or.. a statue, on the moon, built by moon printers (with big conveyors)

    Alternately a bit of digging up, cremating and sending into spaaaace might be fitting.

    Send him to heaven!

  16. Harvey Trowell
    Coat

    Possibly a throat infection?

    He seems a little hoarse in the video.

    Condolences (and apologies for the above).

  17. Annihilator
    Unhappy

    Pain in the arse

    Or ass?...

    Sad day, poor Aladdin. His reign/rein was short lived but at least he had the honour of being the first SPBSPB. Condolences to his mum Susi.

  18. Cliff

    Awww - you must be gutted. Keep some hair trimmings to put on LOHAN, a metaphoric sky burial.

  19. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Alas poor donkey.

    Maybe something he ate didn't agree with him. What did you do with all the leftover parmo, poutine, kapsalon, quesadillas, mealy pudding and migas, anyway? If he's been snaffling scraps out of your bin, it's a testimony to his sheer heroic endurance that he even made it this far...

  20. Chris Hawkins
    Linux

    RIP - Special Agent Aladdin

    "....made doubly onerous by the circling presence of my mutt pack, who sensed the biggest nosh-up since they downed a small wild boar a couple of years back...."

    They were probably thinking "Vale! Burritos!"

    Damn good thing they didn't scoff him! I can see the local rag making allusions to "perro-nitis"!

    A final thought, why was Aladdin not cremated and his ashes scheduled for "Scotty-type" disposal on one of Mr Musk's next orbital perambulations?

    Headline: "Dragon torches Donkey"?

    This would have made him the first El Reg operative to have made it to the heavens!

    Descansa en paz, el burro Aladdin!!

  21. The FunkeyGibbon
    Happy

    I'm not sure Aladdin is dead...

    I think he'll be on the board of RIM before the day is out, along with all the other donkeys.

  22. Dave 32
    Unhappy

    RIP

    RIP, Aladdin. :-(

    Dave

  23. Mostly_Harmless Silver badge
    Unhappy

    RIP

    Condolences

    That is all

  24. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Very sad

    And so young.

  25. FrankAlphaXII

    Im sorry to hear it Lester, I dont know if your family considered him a pet or not, but its always tough.

  26. Confuciousmobil
    Holmes

    So sad..

    Couldn't you have had him stuffed (preferably in an amusing pose) and havi him in El Reg's office?

    Is it to late to dig him up and have him stuffed?

    Or have the Russians/Chinese already stolen his corpse to get your trade secrets?

  27. yoinkster
    Unhappy

    Gutted, I remember saying to you in Sept '10 that that was one nice ass.

    Terrible loss :(

  28. Intractable Potsherd

    Like others ...

    ... I'd just like to add my condolences. I hope it hasn't been too upsetting for the younger members of the family.

  29. Eddy Ito
    Pint

    Tragic

    A pint to celebrate the life and memory of a very special burro.

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