Skip to content

Baby donkey found two weeks after being stolen from farm

Hampshire Constabulary Two police officer crouched either side of Moon the donkeyHampshire Constabulary
Moon was found at an address in Buckinghamshire two weeks after going missing

A baby donkey stolen from a farm has been returned and reunited with her mother after a police investigation.

Two-month-old Moon was snatched from a field at Miller's Ark Animals in Hook, Hampshire, on 15 May.

Following a two-week search, the foal was found at an address in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, on Wednesday.

A farm volunteer said they were "beyond excited" that Moon could be returned to her mother Astra. Police said no arrests had been made so far.

Miller's Ark Moon the baby donkeyMiller's Ark
Moon was sharing a field with mother, Astra, when she was stolen, Miller's Ark Farm said

Moon was still feeding from Astra when she was taken, with the farm describing the mother as "distressed" by her disappearance.

A Facebook post from the farm was shared thousands of times and it provided regular updates on possible sightings.

Hampshire police confirmed it deployed officers to High Wycombe after the farm was tipped off about Moon's whereabouts.

After reuniting the baby donkey with her mother, Sgt Stuart Ross, of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, said the force had received "countless calls and online reports" with possible sightings and lines of inquiry.

"We have worked tirelessly to locate Moon, scouring CCTV footage to see if we could find her, so we are absolutely delighted about this positive outcome," he added.

Miller's Ark Donkeys Astra and Moon together in their penMiller's Ark
Astra was left distressed by the theft of her foal, the farm said

Pam Jessopp, a farm volunteer, told BBC Radio Berkshire she wanted to thank the public for their help and that the baby donkey "appears well and has been looked after".

She said that when Moon arrived back at the farm "she was happy, swishing her tail and came up for cuddles".

"We are beyond excited... you always hold out hope but as the timeframe and the time window got larger you do wonder if she would be found or not," Ms Jessopp added.

"It is so much down to members of the public, our supporters that have got the word out there and spread it on social media.

"It's been a heartfelt story that has caught people's emotions."

The Miller's Ark team is now helping Moon re-bond with Astra, as her milk has dried up.

Police said they would continue to investigate the circumstances of the theft.

Presentational grey line

Follow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]