In 2019, a mule named BeeBee was abandoned outside the gates of our Open Farm in Liscarroll when she was only a few days old. Three years on, she is making great progress in the care of our Ireland team.
BeeBee was frightened, hungry and completely defenceless, with no mother to protect her and no shelter. Thankfully, a woman picking up her children from school found BeeBee outside our sanctuary.
We then took her to our New Arrivals unit, where Larkspur and Parsley joined her for company.
Supporting BeeBee
To find BeeBee's owner, but more importantly, her mother, we contacted local veterinarians, animal welfare organizations and the public.
Sadly our search for BeeBee's mother was unsuccessful, so our Head of Farms, Declan Sexton, and his team pulled together to make sure that the foal received all the care and nutrients she needed at this critical stage of her development.
Declan says: "BeeBee had to be fed every two hours by hand for the first four weeks, even through the night. We put a 'feed rota' in place to ensure she got the care required to grow and thrive.
"As the weeks passed, the time intervals became more spread out, and by the time the intervals reached six hours, BeeBee had started eating some hard feed and grass."
Thanks to your support, we were able to provide BeeBee with constant care during her early years and continue caring for her to avoid further issues resulting from abandonment.
Not only is abandonment very stressful for a donkey or mule, but it can also cause many health issues and lead to challenging behaviour that takes time and effort to reverse.
Animals abandoned at a young age may also have trouble developing natural instincts and behaviours that they would have otherwise learned from their mothers.
BeeBee three years on
BeeBee is now three years old and has grown into an inquisitive and confident mule who loves affection.
During BeeBee's time at the New Arrivals unit, Supervisor Dawn O'Connor worked closely with her. She trained her with a head collar and lead rope, rewarding her with many ear scratches for good behaviour.
After leaving our New Arrivals unit, she moved to a group of 12 youngsters until she recently joined the main herd at Hannigan's Farm in Liscarroll.
BeeBee has been getting along well with the whole group and has maintained a close bond with Larkspur, who she was housed with when she first arrived.
Thanks to your generosity and the commitment of our farm team, BeeBee has grown into a healthy and happy mule despite her tough start in life.
