After being forced to stay indoors or close to home for weeks, a group of Sidmouth residents have finally enjoyed a taste of freedom.
Nothing to do with the coronavirus lockdown – these were a herd of donkeys which had been restricted to their stables and yards because of the wet weather and saturated ground.
This week, The Donkey Sanctuary was able to let them out into their summer grazing fields for the first time this year.
They were seen to kick up their heels, roll and run on the grass in the sunshine.
Farm manager Maxine Carter said: “For as long as the ground and gateways remain dry, we will be letting our donkeys out for an hour a day.
“We will introduce the donkeys to grass gradually and increase the time over the next few weeks; until eventually they have the freedom to choose whether to be inside or out.”
The Donkey Sanctuary is currently closed to visitors because of the coronavirus outbreak, but said its farm staff are working hard to make sure all the donkeys receive the highest standards of care.
The donkeys can be viewed remotely on the webcams on The Donkey Sanctuary’s website https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/webcams
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