Before Scott flew off again on another university trip, we decided to pop by the Flicka Donkey Sanctuary near Mabe. This little gem is a charity founded in 1995 by Mary Berryman with the aim of rescuing donkeys and horses, although they have looked after a number of other animals.
There are currently over 100 horses and donkeys at the sanctuary at the moment, all of which have been abused, neglected or abandoned.
It costs a lot of money to run this centre, and they rely on donations. It costs £90,000 a year to feed and care for all the animals, although this doesn’t include staff, equipment or maintenance needs.
This fluffy monkey is Bertie, a Baudet du Poitou. This is a rare breed of donkey originating from France, and they’re unusually tall and hairy. There are only around 180 of his breed left on the planet, and during our entire visit he was busy munching away and only just raised his head long enough for me to get a picture. Unfortunately, he has since passed away.
They have loads of amazing facilities for the animals at the sanctuary.
Flicka has a gorgeous little cafe that sells vegetarian and vegan sandwiches/cakes and a giftshop selling all manner of donkey themed items. The sanctuary is free to visit, but they really appreciate donations.
The sanctuary is free to visit, but rely entirely on donations. This place is amazing, so give lots.
There is a small free car park.