A baby donkey at a popular farm park has ended up with two mothers after a ‘one in a million’ birth.
The adorable little foal- named Solomon – will be raised by both females after the trio formed a ‘bond for life’.
The situation arose after Ben Best discovered the foal standing between his two female donkeys, Star and Mary, who had both been pregnant.
The delivery came as a surprise given the animals at Dalscone Farm in Dumfries had not been expected to deliver for several weeks.
However, in a sad turn of events he found that while both had given birth – just one of the foals – Solomon – had survived.
And with the little donkey already attached and nursing from both donkeys, Mr Best didn’t know who the real mother was.
As such, staff have given up trying to find out which animal is the birth mother.
Mr Best said: ‘Both mums thought the foal was theirs. The foal is grey so that gives us no indication from either mum.
‘Because they foaled at the same time, both donkeys were looking round to see a foal that was fine and running about and that’s what they found.
‘The two mums are already bonded together as they grew up together – donkeys bond for life and are highly emotionally intelligent – and now they have both bonded with the same foal. They are feeding the same foal and caring for the same foal.’
Unsure what course of action would be in the animals’ best interest he sought advice from an equine hospital in Lanark and from a behaviourist at The Donkey Sanctuary in Devon but their conflicting advice left him none the wiser.
He said: ‘The foal was snuggling with Mary and feeding, but then five minutes later he would nestle into Star. He is nursing from both donkeys at the same time. To the foal he has two mums.’
The farm staff considered trying to find an orphan foal to give to the bereaved donkey, but realised neither mum would accept it as they both believed Solomon was theirs.
‘What I hope happens is that the foal is going to bond with one donkey over the other and naturally the other bond will fade,’ said Mr Best.
‘But if we just take the wrong donkey away, the real mum will suffer. If a donkey mum loses her foal she grieves and can even die of a broken heart, refusing to eat.
‘It is the strangest situation I have come across. The chances of this happening are one in a million.’
He has decided against a DNA test as the results would take a month to come through and by then the foal may have bonded with the donkey that is not its biological mother.
‘Baby Solomon is quite happy with two mums. He feeds as he pleases, he nurses from each of them and as one udder empties, he has another one – it’s an unlimited milk bar,’ added Mr Best.
‘I’m trying to do what’s best for all of them. The more you watch them, the harder it comes to guess who the mother is, as he stands right in the middle of the both of them.’
Dalscone Farm is already home to another animal celebrity – Fiona, Britain’s loneliest sheep.
Fiona had been marooned on her own for two years on a remote Highland beach.
However, as the Mail on Sunday exclusively revealed, a team of rescuers abseiled 800ft down cliffs to save her.
She was then taken to Dalscone Farm where she continues to thrive.
‘Being such a global superstar, we have to make sure everything is absolutely spot on for her. She’s doing well now and has made a couple of friends. I’m looking forward to Solomon and Fiona meeting each other,’ said Mr Best.