A “credible” sighting of a baby donkey has been reported stolen from an animal farm in Hampshire. Two-month-old Moon has been separated from her mother for more than a week after she was removed from Miller’s Ark in Hook on Monday May 15.
His disappearance sparked an outcry among animal lovers who were moved by video of the distraught mother of the newborn braying for her baby.
Miller’s Ark said in a post on its Facebook page that a member of the public was contacted to report seeing a small ginger donkey in the trunk of a car between 3 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. Moon disappeared.
Captioned “Credible Moon Sighting,” Miller’s Ark said in the post that a boy between the ages of 10 and 14 was sitting in the back of the car petting and talking to the foal.
The report said that the “probable” route of the car from Miller’s Ark was from the A30 onto the A287 past the village of Odiham, continuing onto the A287 Farnham Road, Odiham Road.
The update was welcomed by supporters of the farm with one Facebook user commenting: “This is positive news! Fingers firmly crossed that this leads to the car being identified and Moon being found.”
Another wrote: “So I hope it’s the moon and you get it back.”
A third said: “That sounds like a really credible lead. I hope it pays off.”
Miller’s Ark launched a national campaign last week in an attempt to secure the colt’s return. She offered a reward of £10,000 for information leading to the baby donkey being reunited with his mother, Astra.
Pam Jessopp, who volunteers at the rare breed farm, said staff were desperately worried and concerned.
She said: “At this age, Moon will need coats to regulate [her] body temperature and will miss his mother.
The owner, Elizabeth Miller, wondered if Moon might have been abducted while staff were serving visitors.
She told ITV: “We think it may have been lifted over the fence and taken away. They are very small and they are very friendly so we think that is what happened.”
Ms Miller said last week: “Astra has been completely devastated, really stressed, pacing up and down the fence, braying. She didn’t want to eat anything yesterday. She’s had something to eat today, which is great.”
She added: “[Astra] she doesn’t know what to do with herself because all her natural instincts are to find the foal.”
Hampshire Police have been investigating the case which has the crime number 44230191581.
The force has guaranteed anonymity to anyone with information on Moon’s whereabouts.