Celebrate Donkey Week at Sidmouth

The Donkey Sanctuary will be celebrating World Donkey Day (8 May) as part of the charity’s 34 years celebrating Donkey Week from the 3 – 10 May, with events and activities highlighting the work and the contribution donkeys make to humans all over the world.

Members of the public are welcome to join the charity’s celebrations during Donkey Week and enjoy exclusive access to its farms in Devon where thousands of donkeys and mules live, many of which have been rescued or were unwanted pets. One of the events for Donkey Week will be held at Paccombe Farm located in the beautiful hamlet of Harcombe, for a family fun day on Saturday 7 May from 10am.

This is a truly unique event held every year so that the public can enjoy some fabulous hands-on time with these amazing donkeys that are all safe in the care of The Donkey Sanctuary. Farms that are usually not accessible to the public will be opening their gates. If you would like to find out more about Donkey Week, please contact The Donkey Sanctuary on 01395 578222 or visit www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/donkey-week-2016 .

CEO David Cook says: “During the last 47 years, The Donkey Sanctuary has made a profound difference to the lives of donkeys and people all over the world. More than 18,800 donkeys have been given Sanctuary for life in the UK, Ireland and Europe, millions of donkeys supporting some of the world’s poorest communities have been helped through free veterinary and education interventions, and donkey assisted interactions which have enhanced the lives of thousands of children with additional needs.

“As well as continuing our current work to rescue and give Sanctuary to donkeys in need, over the next five years and beyond, we will tackle more emerging donkey welfare issues such as problems surrounding the production of donkey meat and milk products, and live animal transport. We will also expand our projects into at least ten more countries worldwide; building relationships with humanitarian aid organisations to improve international understanding of the vital role that donkeys play in alleviating human poverty and suffering in the poorest and most disaster prone parts of the world.

“With an estimated 50 million donkeys and mules in the world, there is still so much to do. Through our values of compassion, collaboration and creativity, we aim to double our reach to two million animals every year. Our vision is to reach them all.”

DONKEY FACTS...

The average age of a donkey in the UK is 27 years but they can live into their 50s.
Every kilogram of hay that the donkey consumes needs to be chewed more than 2,000 times!
On average about 60% of the donkey’s body is made up of water.
Donkeys by their very nature are stoical creatures and rarely show obvious signs of pain and discomfort as part of their defence against predators.
Donkeys often become bonded to other donkeys. If the friend dies or is taken away, the donkey will frequently pine.
Donkeys can survive extraordinarily well with impaired eyesight. A bonded companion with good vision will often act as a guide for its partially sighted or blind friend.
The normal length of a donkey pregnancy is 365 to 376 days
A donkey is stronger than a horse of equal size
The Roman Army was responsible for the movement of donkeys into Northern Europe. Donkeys were used in agriculture and as pack animals. The Romans used donkeys in their new vineyards, some planted as far north as France and Germany. Donkeys came to England with the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 43.

Go along and immerse yourself in all things donkey. You can spend just a day, or enjoy a whole week of tours, events, insightful talks and lots of one to one time with the donkeys.