Wagner Lima, a 34-year-old Paraguayan cowboy, died on New Year's Day 2017 in a motorcycle accident in Brazil. Everyone who knew Wagner knew what his dear horse Sereno meant to him, and vice versa.
Wagner and Sereno were best friends for many years … and Sereno meant everything to the cowboy.
Wagner's brother Wando instantly knew that he wanted Sereno to be there at the funeral, right alongside Wagner's human friends and family members.
"This horse was everything to him," Wando told Globo News. "It was as if the horse knew what was happening and wanted to say goodbye."
Wando led an emotional march to his brother's final resting place in the city of Cajazeiras, Brazil. Sereno marched right along with them, but no one in the procession expected just how the grieving horse would react when he got close enough to Wagner's casket to pinpoint Wagner's scent.
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Sereno "whimpered during the procession to the cemetery" and even laid his head on top of the casket during the ceremony. According to Equine Wellness Magazine, "Some horses show easily observable expressions of grief, such as waiting for days by the gate through which their buddy disappeared, exhibiting reduced social interaction, or appearing depressed. Their eyes may be lackluster, their usual expressions of joy may fall by the wayside, and even food intake may be reduced. Sometimes they will just be a little quieter overall, which can easily go unnoticed. These signs of grieving are most likely to become apparent shortly after the loss."
Wando says he will now be taking care of Sereno in his brother's honor.
Watch the video to see what happened during this tear-jerking moment. No wonder this story went viral!
Horses are truly incredible creatures.
