A missing baby donkey that was stolen from a farm has been found safe and sound.
Police were able to give Moon, a three-month-old foal, the happy ending she deserves by reuniting her with her mum over two weeks after she was stolen from a farm in Hampshire.
The incident happened at Miller’s Ark in Hook on 15 May. After concerns were raised about little Moon’s whereabouts, police were contacted by the farm when they received new information about Moon on Wednesday night (31 May).
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Immediately after the update came in, officers from Thames Valley Police were deployed to an address on White House Lane in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.
Officers discovered Moon at around 8.15pm and she was returned to her owners and her mum shortly after.
The owners of Miller’s Ark said Moon appears to be in good health in an update shared on social media.
“Yesterday evening we travelled to Buckinghamshire, liaised with Thames Valley Police and have recovered little Moon,” the Facebook post shared by Elizabeth from Miller’s Ark.
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"We are beyond thrilled and Mum and foal are finally back together. Moon appears to be in good health, thank heaven, and we will make sure that Moon and her mum Astra get lots of love and care as they re discover each other.”
Elizabeth was concerned that the newborn donkey might not be able to survive without her mother, named Astra, who had been struggling with the separation.
She continued: "It is because of all of you, amazing people, who have supported Moon, Astra and the team at Miller’s Ark, sharing this story far and wide - and now you have brought her home. A huge thank you to all streams of the media who spread the story further, Thames Valley Police for their quick response and Surrey and Hampshire Police for their work behind the scenes."
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Police Sergeant Stuart Ross, of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Countrywatch team said the appeals to find Moon led to ‘countless calls and online reports’ from concerned members of the public.
"This was a fantastic piece of joint working from Countrywatch and Thames Valley Police's Rural Task Force team,” he said in a statement.
"Our appeals to find Moon attracted countless calls and online reports from members of the public with possible sightings and potential lines of enquiry and we want to thank everyone who shared these appeals and got in touch with us.
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"We have worked tirelessly to locate Moon, scouring CCTV footage to see if we could find her, so we are absolutely delighted about this positive outcome.
"Hampshire & the Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Country Watch team will continue with an investigation into the circumstances of the theft of this donkey."
Gregory Robinson