The scariest donkey-related ghost story is the legend of the Donkey Lady Bridge in San Antonio, Texas. It is an urban legend with several unsettling variations, all of which culminate in a horrifying fate for the central character. Her ghost, a half-human, half-donkey figure, is said to haunt a bridge on Old Applewhite Road.
The most cited and frightening version of the legend involves a jealous or enraged farmer who murders his family and burns down their farmhouse.
- The tragedy: One night, the farmer set his family’s farmhouse ablaze, trapping his wife and children inside. The children died in the fire.
- A horrifying transformation: The wife, though horribly burned and disfigured, managed to escape the burning home. Her hands were reportedly melted into stumps, and her skin was so charred it left her face elongated, resembling a donkey’s.
- The gruesome end: In agony, she stumbled toward the nearby Medina River and threw herself in, never to be seen again.
- The haunting begins: Her ghost, now a vengeful, donkey-like spirit, is said to haunt the bridge near the site of her death. She seeks revenge on those who trespass on her territory.
Encounters at the bridge
Many locals and paranormal thrill-seekers have shared terrifying accounts of encounters at the
Donkey Lady Bridge.
- Honking summons her: The bravest—or most foolish—visitors can summon the Donkey Lady by honking their car horn on the bridge.
- Hoof prints and screams: Those who dare to do so report hearing a terrible braying and the sounds of hooves on their vehicle. The Donkey Lady is said to scratch and damage cars that stop on the bridge at night, leaving behind dents or shattered windshields.
- Chased by the ghost: Some people claim they were chased from the bridge by the enraged specter, fleeing through the dark woods.
