The Donegal Donkey Sanctuary has been working its magic again in keeping a brave little baby donkey fighting fit.
Baby Rose was born to one of the donkeys in the sanctuary this week, Daisy, who sadly was so traumatised from the birthing process that mum was not ready to take care of her youngling.
However the brilliant staff of the sanctuary stepped in to try and help young Rose survive, feeding the small donkey from colostrum bottles and spending many a late night by her side to do so!
Sadly for Rose, as can happen with some animal births, mum Daisy was so traumatised following the birth that she hasn’t bonded with her – making it so the work of the staff is even more important.
After an appeal, members of the public promised the donation of hay bales so that Rose could have a special cozy pen, to give her plenty of comfort and warmth as she is still at risk of further complications at such a young age.
“Baby Rose is proving to be a little warrior!” the Donkey Sanctuary posted.
“We are so proud of this sweet little girl. She is feeding well and taking full bottles every three to four hours. Most of all she loves hugs and cuddles and the comfort of being held close.”
“Night time feeds are at 12 midnight, 3am and 6am. These are special quiet times with her and we are enjoying them very much even if sleep deprived the next day!”
“We would like to thank everyone who has messaged and called to ask how she is doing including the stream of visitors who came to meet her today. We are cautiously optimistic for her survival but it is early days and we are ever mindful that things can change quickly. If love can pull her through then she will be a winner.”
“In answer to enquiries about Mum Daisy, we are happy to report that she is physically well and recovering from the birth but has no empathy or connection to little Rose which is sadly unlikely to change.”