A dramatic donkey rescue took place at our SPANA centre in Jordan earlier this year.
A severe snowstorm hit the capital Amman in January, taking everyone by surprise. During the night, the SPANA Jordan country director, Dr Ghazi, received an urgent phone call about a donkey that had been spotted outdoors and alone in the middle of the storm. He was very concerned as temperatures had dropped suddenly to -5˚C.
The SPANA team assembled and set off in their vehicle to find the donkey. Much like for humans, being exposed to freezing temperatures for a prolonged period can be very serious for donkeys, with a very real risk of frostbite, hypothermia, and ultimately fatal consequences.
The driving snow made the search difficult, but it was a huge relief when the team eventually found the donkey. They rushed the animal – which they fittingly named “Snowy” – back to the SPANA centre in Wadi Al-Seer, where a warm and dry stable with food was waiting for her.
Fortunately, the initial examination by SPANA vets was reassuring and they felt confident she would recover from her ordeal.
However, a further surprise was in store – the team discovered that Snowy was pregnant. Snowy recuperated at the SPANA centre over the next couple of months and the team were thrilled when she gave birth to a healthy little foal, named “Snowball”, in March.
Snowy’s owner could not be found, but happily a new home was found for the pair, with a responsible local animal owner well known to SPANA.
Your generous donations are absolutely vital for SPANA and this emergency rescue and its happy ending simply wouldn’t have happened without your support.
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