Well just when we thought we'd seen everything – a donkey with three ears!

Our welfare officer had been asked to give some advice and provide a headcollar to a donkey owner near Limassol. Nothing out of the ordinary except when she got back, she showed us the photos of a beautiful stallion that had three ears! Now I wasn't disputing what I'd been told but... So off we went to have another look and sure enough he definitely has three ears.

At first it seemed as if the ear had been cut from top to bottom. However, the smaller ear has its own ear hole which joins the other ear hole at the bottom before going into one ear canal. The owner bought him a few months ago and knows his history as he was bred in a village not far from the sanctuary. The stallion is definitely not typical of a Cyprus donkey – he is the size of an average UK donkey and a lovely beige colour (technically a pale strawberry roan)! He is in super condition and very calm. As he may well be used for breeding it will be interesting to see if any of his offspring will have an extra ear too.