Born: circa 2009 | Arrived: August 2024

Late August 2024, someone rang about a donkey abandoned in a field. Owners had left the country, left him behind. We were told he was five years old.

He's not five.

A proper health check revealed severely decaying teeth and other issues you'd expect from a chap closer to 15. Which means Derek spent most of his life alone in that field. Never met another donkey. Never heard one. Fifteen years without his own kind.

After emergency dental work, we put him in a field within sight of the other equines. Derek brayed. First time in his life, his own kind answered back. They came running to the gate, every single one of them. If you haven't seen that moment, you need to ([watch the video here - link]).

Once he'd healed from castration, we introduced him properly to Merlin, our miniature pony. Both male, both gentle. They clicked immediately – became proper pals.

Now Derek's part of the whole equine gang. Dolly Mixture has taken him under her wing, showing him what being a donkey actually means. How to behave, how to play, how to just be. He's learning fast.

Fifteen years of not knowing, and now he does. He's got friends, he's got routine, he's got a herd. He's happy.

And he's staying.