Gold standard living for rescued mini donkeys’ foals

A pair of miniature donkey foals, who were born to mares following The Donkey Sanctuary’s biggest ever rescue operation, are part of the herd enjoying life in a new nature inspired enrichment paddock in the heart of the Sidmouth sanctuary.

Close companions Peanut and Maverick were born at the animal-welfare charity’s donkey hospital near Honiton, in April 2021. Their mums, Sharon and Mango, were part of more than 70 donkeys who were rescued just a couple of months previously from a farm in Wales.

The operation was made possible by the close collaboration of a number of other agencies, and proceedings culminated last December when the donkeys were signed over into the care of The Donkey Sanctuary.

Now Peanut and Maverick are part of the small group of miniature donkeys to whom the new revamped paddock is home to. They may be small in stature, but the herd of Mediterranean Miniature donkeys are already proving to be firm favourites with staff, volunteers and visitors alike.

The area has been developed to provide its residents with plenty of space to roam, forage and play. Enrichment is very important to all the sanctuary’s donkeys, and the minis are no different.

The revamped paddock and brand new shelter are equipped with plenty of play and sensory items, as well as custom-built whirligig browse holders, which give the donkeys a real challenge to get their toys or treats.

The paddock has also been designed with nature in mind, and the charity’s Ecology and Conservation team played a vital role in helping create a biodiverse environment that not only benefit the resident donkeys, but the flora and fauna who share their home.

In creating the area, a restorative plant mix was sown into the grounds of the paddock before its completion. This thorough mix of plants have improved its diversity, while breaking up soil compaction which will help the ground drain during prolonged periods of wet weather. 

There are also plans to plant donkey-friendly shrubs and tasty herbs, as well as semi-mature trees, and to sow a wider variety of donkey friendly grass and flower species to further build biodiversity, which will encourage more invertebrates and small mammals, such as voles and shrews.

The sanctuary remains free for visitors, and people can walk around the perimeter of the new paddock to watch the minis exploring their surroundings. People are also welcome to bring their dogs on a lead with them, so the sanctuary is truly a day out for the whole family.

Maverick and Peanut can also be adopted through the sanctuary’s Adopt a Donkey scheme. This is a great way of supporting the work of the charity, helping to provide the best quality of care for their resident donkeys, as well as reaching donkeys at most in need across the world.

While the new barn currently houses the sanctuary’s lively herd of minis, it has been purpose-built for The Donkey Sanctuary to accommodate all breeds of donkeys, meaning it will future proof the use of the paddock and be suitable for all donkeys in the care of the sanctuary.

While the construction of  the new shelter and revamped paddock was imperative to improve the minis’ quality of life, it has also helped the organisation learn key lessons going forward.

It provides The Donkey Sanctuary with a foundation for how to approach and enrich healthy living spaces for other donkeys and nature across its sanctuaries, to ensure that it’s not only their donkeys that benefit, but thousands more that are cared for by people across the UK and world.