Two donkey foals born to rescued jennies are taking centre stage at World Horse Welfare as the charity’s Christmas campaign stars.
Mia and her foal Peanut, and Molly and her baby Popcorn, have already experienced a seasonal snowfall at World Horse Welfare’s Belwade Farm, where they have had attention from charity patron and social media influencer Esme Higgs.
“Donkeys are clever, loving, and full of personality but they need special care,” Esme said.
“I met the gorgeous Peanut and Popcorn and their rescued mums Mia and Molly, on a recent visit to Belwade Farm, and it was wonderful to see they are getting the support they deserve and learning to trust humans. This season, your help can make all the difference to these amazing animals.”
The farm’s manager Eileen Gillen said the charity was delighted to be able to share pictures of its two donkeys.
“In this case, and thanks to our supporters enabling us to be there for them, Mia and Molly are doing well here at Belwade and were able to give birth to beautiful, healthy foals,” she said.
A spokesperson for the charity said that although donkeys may appeal as pets, their needs are often misunderstood, which can cause welfare issues.
“Although they are like horses in that they like to live in a herd, donkeys also need to pair-bond with another donkey – this behaviour is instinctive and essential to their wellbeing,” the spokesperson said..
“Separating bonded pairs causes them a lot of stress and donkeys who have lost a mate can literally die from a broken heart – as the effect of this stress on their health can lead to a condition called hyperlipaemia, which can be fatal.”
Shelter is very important as donkeys’ coats are not waterproof as horses’ are, and they need a specific diet and daily enrichment activities. Foot care can also be an issue as they do not cope well with the wet UK climate.
“As far as understanding their care goes, it’s important to consider how different they are to horses as they are very good at masking their pain as a survival mechanism,” Ms Gillen said.
“This can lead to them not receiving the care they need at the right time, as the signs of ill health can be easily missed.
“While we don’t take many donkeys in at World Horse Welfare, when we do the reasons are usually the same. Rather than deliberate neglect it tends to be more down to a lack of understanding and knowledge on behalf of those responsible for their care.”
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