Did Google Street View car run over a donkey? Camera car appears to hit animal on dirt road in Botswana

By ANTHONY BOND

Alive: A picture has emerged on Twitter which was taken by a Google Street View car showing a donkey - which looks dead - lying beside a road in Botswana. This image shows the donkey initially standing.

They are known for traveling the world and documenting our surroundings in extreme detail.
But, as these pictures show, it seems as though Google may have photographed itself being involved in a rather unfortunate accident.
A picture has emerged on Twitter which was taken by a Google Street View car showing a donkey - which looks dead - lying beside a road in Botswana.

Wounded: But shortly afterwards the donkey is pictured by the Street View car lying in the road. The dust billowing from it indicates the animal could have just been hit

And the pictures seem to suggest that the donkey was knocked over by the very same Google Street view camera car which photographed the injured beast.
A puff of dust pictured billowing from the donkey indicates the animal may have just fallen as the image was taken.
When Google users scroll past the injured donkey they can see it standing uninjured by the road side.
This has led to accusations that Google ran over the donkey and the picture of it lying injured by the roadside was taken by the rear-facing camera.

Accused: There have been accusations that Google ran over the donkey and the picture of it lying injured by the roadside was taken by the rear-facing camera

Google has claimed its car approached the donkey, which was already lying down. The internet giant claims it then gets up again and continues walking uninjured.
However, according to images seen by Couriermail.com.au, this version of events suggests that the donkey is walking backwards.
A Google Street View spokesman denied that the donkey was injured by one of its cars.

Firm: Google has denied that one of its Street View cars hit the donkey

'Our Street View teams take the safety of people and donkeys very seriously,' the spokesperson said. 'A review of our imagery confirms that we did not cause any harm to the donkey.'
However, people who saw the picture on Twitter had a different view.
User @handelaar101 wrote: 'Google Street View is in Botswana now - and apparently Google kill donkeys there too..keep an eye out for the donkey.'

source: dailymail

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Little donkey is plodding on towards Christmas after being born premature

By ALEX GORE

Adorable: The foal weighed just8.3kg when he was born at Berg Zoo in Halle, east Germany, this month This little donkey is plodding on towards Christmas after taking zookeepers by surprise when he was born premature. Worried staff at Berg Zoo in Halle, east Germany, kept a round the clock vigil for two days when Nikolaus was born weighing just 8.3kg. But after plenty of love, attention and bottle feeding, the foal pulled through and became strong enough to join his mother in her stables.

Christmas present: Nikolaus was determined not to miss out on the festive fun by being born premature Nikolaus was born just minutes after midnight on December 4, with donkeys born before 11 months considered premature. His arrival came as many Germans were preparing to celebrate St Nicholas of Myra two days later.

Concern: Worried staff kept a round the clock vigil for two days after Nikolaus arrived ahead of Christmas St Nicholas was a Greek Christian bishop who became a patron saint of children, sailors, merchants and students, and is widely accepted as the primary inspiration for Father Christmas. He lived during the lived during the 3rd Century and became known for his generosity and secretly giving gifts to children.

Reunited: After two days of bottle feeding, the foal was strong enough to join his mother in her stable

Festive fun: Nikolaus was named after St Nicholas of Myra, the primary inspiration for Father Christmas

Foal in the mirror: Zookeepers have been getting Nikolaus into the festive spirit with a bright red Santa hat source: dailymail

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Not so wonky donkey: Ass walks for the first time after vets put pink casts on her legs

By KERRY MCQUEENEY

Tickled pink: Primrose the three-week-old donkey was saved by vets who put her under-developed legs in pink casts until they are string enough to support her

This little donkey must be tickled pink that she has finally been able to take her first steps.
Primrose was born prematurely and the bones in her bowed legs had not fully developed fully, leaving her unable to stand or walk properly.
However now, thanks to vets, the three-week-old foal is not such a wonky donkey any more after she was fitted with bright pink casts.

The little foal was born prematurely which meant the bones in her legs had not developed fully

The colourful casts were fitted to her two front legs to help support her bodyweight until they are strong enough to hold her up.
Far from restricting Primrose, the casts have proved no barrier to her wanderings. The little donkey has been spotted bounding around and trying to befriend horses.
She is being treated at the Bind Equine Veterinary Practice in Bridgnorth, Shropshire.
Veterinary staff worker Kate Maxwell said: 'Primrose was born prematurely which is not very common and she couldn’t stand or walk very well.

Primrose with her owner Michelle Rickards. The casts haven't hindered the little donkey, who has been bounding around while wearing them

'She belongs to a local family who keep donkeys and they called us to say there was a problem.
'We brought her back here and she’s been wearing the casts for a week. Because her legs are bowed, her knee bones would be crushed under the weight.
'We hope that in ten days time the casts can come off and she will have made a full recovery. She’s perfectly happy now, she can run around and jump.
'Even in the few days that Primrose has been with us we’ve seen a great improvement in her condition.
'She’s very sociable. There aren’t any donkeys here but she’s showing off her lovely pink casts to the other horses. She’s proved very popular with visitors and she poses for pictures.'


Because her legs are bowed, Primrose's knee bones would have been crushed under the weight were it not for the casts. It is hoped they can be removed in 10 days

source: dailymail

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Braying for a miracle: 1,100 join Facebook campaign to save donkey who can be heard two miles away

By CHRIS BROOKE

Most residents in the village of Brierley in Yorkshire are fond of Joseph the donkey, despite his noisy braying at all hours

He's only little but he makes a very big noise.
When Joseph brays, his eeyore reverberates around the village, across the valley... and if the wind is blowing in the right direction, it can be heard in the neighbouring village two miles away.
He does it late at night and early in the morning, often waking residents.
Until now, everyone has accepted the loudmouth ass as a quirk of life in the South Yorkshire community of Brierley.
But a single complaint to the council from an unknown source has prompted an investigation into ‘whether or not the donkey is causing a noise nuisance’.
When residents learned his not-so-quiet life in a field behind the village club could be under threat, they rallied round to launch a campaign to save him.
A Facebook group called ‘Save the Brierley Donkey From Being Shot’ – not that he really faces such a grim fate – has more than 1,100 members.

Joseph has been threatened with eviction after neighbours of his owners Clare and Phil Williams complained to the council about his eeyore

She said: ‘Joseph has a really distinctive loud eeyore. It sounds like someone is being strangled but it’s part of living around here. He makes everybody laugh with his braying, even if it is in the middle of the night.
'He is very noisy, but he certainly doesn’t deserve to be put down or moved out. How could anyone want to get rid of him?
‘Sometimes the noise is a bit overwhelming at 4 or 5am but it’s no different from living next to a busy road or a railway line. You get used to it.’
Joseph’s owners, Phil and Clare Williams, discovered a complaint had been made to the council’s environmental health department when an officer visited last month. Mr Williams, a father of nine, said: ‘He has got a very loud bray. You can hear it over the hill in Grimethorpe, the next village.

Samantha Thompson, left, from Brierley set up a Facebook page called "save the Brierley donkey" to try and stop Joseph, right, from being evicted

‘We don’t know why it is so loud but he is only doing what comes naturally and it can sound different depending on his mood. He brays if he sees someone coming or going to work in the early hours. It’s his way of saying hello.
‘Apparently there has been a donkey in the village for at least 100 years and it is supposed to be lucky.’
Mr Williams has received a warning letter detailing the complaint and the council’s procedure to investigate it. But with the support of most villagers behind Joseph, he believes the complainants will not pursue the matter.

source: dailymail

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Ass good as new! Donkey who was spray painted to look like a zebra back to his old self

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Back to black: Yard-hand Helen Bullimore said Ant has got the spring in his step back after getting cleaned up

A rescue donkey spray painted to look like a zebra has got the spring back in his trot after being cleaned up.

Ant was no doubt left confused after thugs broke into into Sussex Horse Rescue Trust in Uckfield and spent 20 minutes spray painting the hapless animal with black and white stripes.

At 30 years old Ant was a vicious target for the thugs as the paint left his skin irritated and sore.


White stripes: Ant the donkey has been transformed into a zebra after pranksters spent 20 minutes painting him

‘I noticed something was wrong when a zebra came in for a feed instead of a donkey,’ said Felix Green of the Sussex Horse Rescue Trust, in Uckfield, Sussex.
‘We did not see who did it so it must have happened sometime overnight. It must have taken the person who did it at least 20 minutes to paint it. He is not in pain but it really smells.’
Mr Green said another donkey, Pedro, had an ‘obscene image’ painted on his side.
He said: ‘We think they were targeted randomly as there are a lot of donkeys there.’


Traumatic experience: Ant was spray painted by vandals to look like a zebra, now he has been returned to normal

Painting donkeys to look like zebras has happened before.
In 2009, a zoo in Gaza found a clever way to beat Israeli restrictions on animal imports by dyeing two donkeys so they looked like zebras.
An RSPCA spokesman said the attack was not amusing: ‘It’s shocking people would think it was funny to paint a donkey. It can irritate their skin and affect their breathing.’
Sussex Police said they are investigating the incident.


Extreme makeover: While some may find Ant's new makeover amusing, the RSPCA has said it is a form of abuse which is not funny


Taped up: Palestinian zoo workers tape a donkey in order to paint it to look like a zebra because they cannot afford to buy a real one because of import restrictions

source: dailymail

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Can drinking donkeys' milk help you to stay in shape?

By FIONA MACRAE

Healthy: Donkey milk is also high in omega three oils and calcium and is said to be better for the heart


Fed up with skimmed milk and can’t stomach soya? Give donkeys’ milk a try.

Said to be the secret of Cleopatra’s flawless complexion, donkeys’ or asses’ milk also works wonders on waistlines, according to research.

And with high quantities of omega-3 oils and calcium, it may be better for the heart and help keep energy levels up throughout the day.

Previous research has also suggested the protein-rich drink might be a good alternative to cows’ milk for those with allergies, so donkeys’ milk could soon become the next big thing among the health-conscious who can’t bear to give up dairy.

In the latest study, Italian scientists gave rats either cows’ milk or asses’ milk to drink on top of their usual food.


Good for you? A study found volunteers drinking cows' milk put on more weight than those on donkey milk


While those given cows’ milk became heavier than normal rats, those drinking asses’ milk put on less weight.

They also had lower levels of blood fats and other fats that can damage the arteries and the heart.

And their mitochondria – the tiny batteries that power cells – were super-charged, turning food into energy at a fast pace.

Taken together, this suggests that the consumption of asses’ milk should be encouraged, the researchers told the International Congress on Obesity in Istanbul.

Previous Italian research has suggested that asses’ milk is a good alternative to cows’ milk for children with allergies.

However, those who are keen to give asses’ milk a try may have to be patient.
Although popular in Victorian times, it fell out of fashion and is not believed to currently be on sale anywhere in Britain, according to the Donkey Breed Society.


source: dailymail

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Anger after restaurant dyes donkey pink for Mexican celebration stunt

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Shackled and humiliated: The chained donkey was spotted in 80F outside Pink Taco yesterday


A Mexican restaurant in Los Angeles has been boycotted by scores of furious diners after spraying a donkey pink and chaining it to the entrance in a bizarre promotional stunt.

Pink Taco decided to mark the Cinco de Mayo Mexican national holiday by painting the animal and daubing the restaurant's name on both its sides yesterday.

But after chaining the animal to its entrance in searing 80F heat, the restaurant's stunt backfired after it was boycotted by disgusted diners and animal rights campaigners.


Disgust: Pink Taco in Los Angeles caused controversy with its 'sick' pink donkey promotional stunt


Pink Taco bosses soon realised a backlash was brewing against the stunt, and quickly removed its Twitter and Facebook accounts.

According to an eyewitness, a police officer 'gave Pink Taco a cease and desist order, making the restaurant take down the 'display' as it didn't have a permit.'

The cruel promotion is not even the first time Pink Taco have painted a donkey pink in the interests of gaining customers.

In 2007 the restaurant pulled the same stunt and even paraded the donkey - named 'Pinky' around the streets of Los Angeles.


The restaurant repeated its donkey stunt, which it originally pulled at its opening in 2007

source: dailymail

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There's life in the old donkey yet: At 54 Eeyore is the world's longest lived ass

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Happy birthday! At 54, Eeyore is believed to be the oldest donkey in the world. He celebrated his birthday with a feast of carrots and hay


He was born the same year Tommy Steele was topping the charts and the Russians sent Sputnik into space.

Like his famous namesake, he's been around for donkey's years - but at the age of 54, Eeyore is being hailed as the oldest living donkey in the world.

Believed to be born in 1957, he is now a Guinness World Record contender for oldest donkey in the world.

The animal named after the gloomy Winnie the Pooh character has outlived other donkeys whose lifespan is usually 25-30 years.

Like his Winnie the Pooh namesake, old Eeyore is prone to glumness - perhaps because he keeps outliving his animal companions. But just for today, if he could talk, he'd likely echo the catchphrase: 'Thanks for noticin' me'

But unlike the 1926 AA Milne creation which was renowned for its love of eating thistles and having the catchphrase 'Thanks for noticin' me' - Eeyore is celebrating his latest birthday with his favourite diet of hay and carrots.


Thanks for noticin' me: Animal lover Selwyn Demmy with Eeyore and his two new friends, goats Andy and Pandy. They all live at Selwyn's Hunters Moon animal sactuary in Mottram St Andrew in Cheshire


Owner Selwyn Demmy, took in Eeyore earlier this month at his animal sanctuary in Cheshire and discovered his two previous owners had him for over 50 years combined.

Originally living with a family in Disley, Derbyshire, the beloved donkey was once tended to by a 20-year-old girl who is now 72 - proving his age to be over 50.

Selwyn heard through his friend Trevor Seetree, 51, that Eeyore was lonely at his second residence, where he was for over 10 years, after his two best friends, llamas Freddie and Merlin, died.

The 78-year-old has taken in homeless and underprivileged animals at his Hunters Moon animal sanctuary in Mottram St Andrew for over 25 years.

He knew that all Eeyore needed was another companion, so he decided to introduce the donkey to his llama Buttons.

source: dailymail

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For once, Ann is doing the dragging: Miss Widdecombe discovers how Anton felt after tussle with difficult donkey

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER


Strictly Come Donkey: Ann Widdecombe takes asses Teasel and Dove for a walk as she launches the Safe Haven for Donkeys in the Holy Land charity's Christmas campaign


Now she knows how Anton Du Beke feels.

Faced with a stubborn partner who’ll move only when prodded, Ann Widdecombe did the only thing she could.

She cajoled, wheedled and finally resorted to muscle power to get this donkey trotting along.

The Strictly Come Dancing star led two of the animals through Newton Abbot in Devon as part of a Christmas campaign by the charity Safe Haven for Donkeys in the Holy Land.

The campaign aims to raise awareness of neglected and abused donkeys in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

She said: 'I've supported SHADH for many years as the work they do is amazing.
'I've spent time at the donkey sanctuary in Israel myself and know that too many donkeys in the region are treated cruelly or abandoned.

'It's terrible that these gentle animals, which play a key part in the Nativity story, should be so badly treated.

'SHADH is the only charity in the area helping these lovely donkeys.'


Don't be shy! Ann tries to encourage the donkeys to pose for the cameras


Ann added: 'I'm hoping to attend SHADH's 10th Anniversary dinner this year but it's the same night as the Strictly Come Dancing Final.

'I've promised to come along if I can but that will be up to the public in the end.
'I am hoping to visit the sanctuary again soon - it's incredibly inspiring to see the work they do there and I love helping out with the care of these lovely animals.'

Safe Haven for Donkeys in the Holy Land rescues injured, neglected and abused donkeys in Israel and the Palestinian territories.


No, I don't want to waltz with you! Ann tugs at Teasel who looks determined to stay where he is


I'm not going anywhere! Teasel refuses to budge as Ann and the sanctuary worker try to coax him towards them


Ann has been a patron of the charity for many years and spent a week working with founder Lucy Fensom at the sanctuary in near Tel Aviv, Israel.

Donkeys are still beasts of burden in the Middle East but sadly many suffer from neglect, cruelty and abuse.

The harsh political climate can mean that these innocent animals end up the victims of the poverty and violence which sadly dominates the region.


My new best friend: Ann cuddles up to Dove as she raises awareness of the charity


Since 2000, SHADH have rescued over 1,000 donkeys and horses and run free mobile vet clinics and education programmes in the region, to teach both children and adults how to care for their working animal.

Those who adopt a Safe Haven donkey in the Holy Land will receive presentation folder, portrait photo of your donkey, record card and an adoption certificate plus a cuddly donkey and updates on your animal through the year.



'Flying canary': Brave Anton Du Beke attempts to lift Ann off the ground in their disastrous samba on Strictly Come Dancing last weekend




source: dailymail

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