We were contacted by an owner who could no longer look after his donkey. At the time our small Isolation Unit was full but the owner was able to wait a while until we had room. Our Welfare Officer, Gill, went off to collect the donkey and when they returned, I received a phone call from the Sanctuary, "nothing to worry about but we don't know what colour he is!".

Off I went to the Sanctuary somewhat bewildered, to find a very large, rather overweight gelding that, in the bright sun, looked rather pink!

Sierkas, as he is known, is actually what's known as a Strawberry Roan, albeit a pale one. Donkeys of this colour are very rarely seen in Cyprus and the only other Strawberry Roan donkey we have is Dora who is a lot darker so looks quite different. Sierkas is a smashing chap - his only problem is that, like many donkeys that come to the sanctuary, he has had laminitis in the past so we are gradually reducing his weight to try to prevent any further attacks.