Christmas Bray at The Donkey Sanctuary 

Grooms at The Donkey Sanctuary will be working right across the Christmas period to continue providing the highest level of care to its herd of resident donkeys. 

At the charity’s sanctuary in Sidmouth, Devon, staff will make sure that the 232 donkeys have everything they need, as well as giving them an occasional festive treat to mark the celebrations. 

Teams of grooms provide a range of enrichment opportunities for the donkeys, such as foraging for carrots in their straw and looking for crunchy treats in logs and under buckets. 

The donkeys have the shelter and warmth of their barns to ensure they can keep out of the elements. Their beds of straw are normally enough to keep them warm, with heat lamps providing an added source of warmth in extremely cold conditions. 

It’s not only the resident donkeys who enjoy treats over Christmas. The teams of grooms also enjoy festive food snacks to help them celebrate the festive season, plus a Secret Santa gift for all under the Christmas tree. 

The Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth is open every day from 9am to 4.30pm (except Christmas Day). Last entry into the car park is at 4pm, and 4.15pm into The Kitchen. The Gift Shop also closes at 4.15pm.  

The Sidmouth sanctuary has many public footpaths across the site, which remain open, although the facilities are closed on Christmas Day.