luigi, Peach & Donkeykong

Luigi, our littlest miniature donkey, was just 4 years old when we rescued him. We found him along with Peach and DonkeyKong, abandoned on the side of the highway near Mysore. Unlike LegStump, Luigi was quite weary of humans, a clear indication that he had been mishandled before we found him. Unfortunately, in October 2019, Luigi took a unintentional kick to the head from DonkeyKong, during one of their usual squabbles. He instantly dropped into a coma and passed a few hours later. A freak accident and utterly heartbreaking, what gives us some sense of comfort here is knowing he lived a beautiful life, wild and free, for the time he spent at the sanctuary before leaving us. He now lies with our other angels, on the backwaters, forever a free donkey.

DonkeyKong is the biggest of the lot, with a beautiful brown coat and gorgeous doe eyes. He's quite possessive of Peach and always makes sure Luigi and LegStump don’t get too close. He’s been quite a bully with the other Jacks, especially Luigi, ever since they arrived together. Though the alpha and quite dominating, DK loves his herd, including Lu and Leggy, always making sure they’re all close by. What happened between him and Lu, though heart wrenching for us, was a complete accident. Equines often bicker and throw in a kick here and there. The fact that DK made contact with Lu’s head was utterly unintentional. These things sometimes happen and are out of anyone’s, including the animals themselves, control.

Peach is a gorgeous little Jenny with a personality to match. She's also our first Jenny. Being the only female amongst our three Jacks, Peach is quite obviously the leader of the pack. Where she goes, the others go. She's quite the explorer and occasionally sneaks out into the backwaters, taking the boys with her. She loves to graze along the lake while playfully evading all attempts to catch her. Eventually they return home to the safety of the Sanctuary and settle in for the night, snuggled up warm and happy.

Peach was rescued while she was 2 months pregnant. A year later, she gave birth to a beautiful little foal, Bisous. Bisous is now almost full grown and lives her life knowing no abuse or neglect.

Peach, Bisous and DonkeyKong are now inseparable. You’ll find them roam the backwaters wild and free, away from any human interaction, just as they prefer.

Donkey skin is currently in high demand in China. In the last decade alone the value of these skins has sky rocketed leading to an unprecedented illicit global trade, making them more valuable dead than alive.

Abandoned donkeys, like Luigi, are prime targets in this illegal trade. We need to work together to protect them.