Arizona man helps donkey remove cactus thorns from his nose and ear

PHOENIX, Ariz. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Hundreds of donkeys roam free around Lake Pleasant in Arizona, but only one of them approached a kayaker recently for help out of a thorny situation.

Travis Ward has been kayaking for about a year now.

"Doing a lot of golfing and that got expensive so I needed to find a new hobby," Ward spoke.

Living near Lake Pleasant, Ward goes out often.

"Almost an every weekend thing," Ward shared.

He loves being able to glide along the water and see the beautiful desert scenery.

"For me it's just connecting with nature," Ward explained.

Rescuing a donkey

Last week, when he got out of his truck and set his kayak by the water, Ward had a real connection with nature.

"At that point, I noticed two donkeys coming towards me," Ward detailed.

When one of the donkeys started approaching him, it's when he realized something was wrong.

"He got closer and I saw there were thorns in his nose and his ear as well," Ward added.

Spines likely from the thousands of saguaros that surround Lake Pleasant.

"I could just tell he was in pain," Ward stated.

Asking for help

Ward believing this animal was asking for help.

"I realized he was in trouble. So, I was like maybe he wants me to take them out," Ward further shared.

Ward slowly moving toward the donkey and started plucking each one out one by one. After pulling out about 40 thorns, Ward said the donkey thanked him in his own way.

"He does the donkey noise for about a minute and then he takes off," Ward explained.

A moment Ward says he will never forget: Taking in the moment of helping a creature in need before getting out on the water.

"I felt really good after. It's always nice to help whether it's a person or an animal," Ward expressed.