Donkeys Napoleon (left) and Antosia at a zoo in Poznan, Poland
Joanna Piechorowska/AP
09/25/2014 AT 03:00 PM EDT
The two amorous donkeys who were separated because of an outcry over their lovemaking have been reunited at a zoo in Poland.
The couple, together for 10 years, got into trouble when mothers expressed outrage that children had to witness their mating. Local conservative official Lydia Dudziak took up their cause and persuaded the director of the zoo in Poznan to have the animals put in separate pens.
The zoo acknowledged making a mistake Thursday and said the donkeys are again in one pen after about a week apart.
"It was never our intention for any animals to feel uncomfortable because of their natural behaviors," the zoo said in a statement.
The interruption of the long-standing romance turned into a national news item in Poland in the past days. Nearly 7,000 people signed a petition to have them reunited.
Two fan pages appeared on Facebook devoted to their cause, with a total of nearly 10,000 likes – and photos of donkeys in the act.
Experts weighed in, saying the separation could hurt their psychological well-being. Politicians were asked about it on the country's leading news programs.
"Animals separated by sex into different cages? It's complete idiocy," said Stefan Niesiolowski, a lawmaker with the governing party, Civic Platform.
Even the spokesman for Law and Justice, the conservative party that Dudziak belongs to, would not come to her defense.
"It's a level of absurdity ... that has been crossed to such an extent that I don't even want to read or know about this," Adam Hofman said Wednesday evening.
In their decade together, Napoleon and Antosia have produced six offspring, including two-month-old Tadeusz.
Kitten snuggling with donkey
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