Miniature donkey born in Devon [PICS]
A miniature donkey foal is causing a stir in Devon.
The foal is the smallest ever to be born at the Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth — weighing just 14kg.
The tiny fluffy brown and white colt is just a few days old, but is already keeping his mum — three-year-old Summer — busy.
He’s been named Charlie.
“As his mum is a miniature donkey, he’s one of the smallest foals we’ve ever had,” said vet Elena Barrio.
“He’s about the size of a dog. To give you an idea he’s about 14kg as opposed to about 50kg for an average thoroughbred horse foal.
“He’s such a beauty and so delicate — small but perfectly formed. And perfectly healthy. No wonder his mum is so proud of him!”
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Charlie has already had plenty of visitors.
“He’s loving the attention,” a spokesman for the charity told H&H.
“There are crowds of people trying to spot him in his paddock every day — he’s often sunbathing.”
He is the 14th foal to be born at The Donkey Sanctuary this year — already more than in the whole of 2013.
This baby boom is the result of the high number of rescued mares being taken in by the charity, particularly in cases of abandonment from Northern Ireland.
Summer was already pregnant when she was taken in by the charity in June from an overstocked farm.
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A graduate of Exeter University, Amy joined our news team from Redpin Publishing in 2008 as news writer. She was promoted to deputy news editor in May 2013 and became news editor in April 2015. She left Horse & Hound in March 2016 to take up an editorial position in Dubai.