BlindLove pound donkeys - update
You may remember that Animal Aid Abroad, with the help of our amazing donors, provided help to BlindLove to rescue and provide sanctuary for a number of donkeys. Following is the update on those donkeys.
In late November 2023 the 11 adult donkeys and 2 foals arrived here to find safety, care , love and their forever homes. They had been held in the Alexandria Pound for months, some of them even more than a year.
The local SPCA had contacted us and asked if we could take them, as they feared they would end up either as lion food or disappearing into the illegal donkey skin trade. Sadly South Africa is still on the red list as one of the biggest illegal exporters worldwide.
There were 3 stallions, 6 pregnant mares, 2 yearling fillies and then the 2 young foals born in the Pound.
One stallion had a stifle/ hip injury and on the journey home he went down in the box , couldn’t get up, and it was decided he stay in the horsebox for the night, be made comfortable, and he headed down to our neighbour Helen Grapes, who had given one of our other rescue donkeys a lovely home. In the morning he was up and managed to walk out of the horsebox!
He was vet checked and treated for a tick infected testes, but within a couple of weeks was given the all clear and he, together with the other 2 stallions were gelded just before Xmas.
Not long after their arrival 2 of the mares sadly gave birth to very tiny prem foals, and both sadly passed away after a day or 2, one in the Grahamstown veterinary Clinic.
Just before Xmas, the one older mare Queen gave birth to a healthy, robust, and very friendly little filly and we called her Missy, short for Mistletoe!! Missy continues to be one of the friendliest little donkeys around!
The male donkey who went down to live with Helen receievd the very best care. The Physio came and taped him up, giving Helen daily exercises to do with him. He has improved in leaps and bounds and now gets along very well. At first she had named him Tena, but he soon became known as Wonky!
Sadly the other home we had found for 2 of the mares (the one also had the young filly at foot that was born in the Pound), fell through after the lady’s husband passed away very suddenly.
As we’ve gotten to know them, we can see the family bonds and bonded pairs, making it hard to rehome, because most people seem to only want one donkey and we arent prepared to split up bonded donkeys. We do have the space, so for now they will all stay happily here with us!
We soon realized that the mares who had had their foals in the Pound (while in with the stallions!) were starting to look like they might be pregnant again. We estimated their due dates to be anytime from September 2023 onwards. One of them, a mare we named Frieda, surprised us in early June by giving birth to the most beautiful black donkey filly. It was full moon at the time so named the baby Moon.
Baby Moon continues to thrive.
This leaves just the 2 mares Pearl and Gucci, who had their foals in the Pound last year and look like they are pregnant again, probably due any time after September.
These donkeys are a quiet, peaceful herd and are thriving here with us. Thank you Animal Aid Abroad for giving them a second chance (the foals will only know the good life!!) here with us.
