Foal orphaned after donkey killed in motorcycle crash on B3055 near Brockenhurst

A DONKEY foal has been taken off the New Forest to be bottle-fed after its mother was killed in a road accident.

The crash on the B3055 near Brockenhurst, which involved a motorcyclist, took place at around 9.30pm on Thursday 10th June.

The accident was reported to police by the rider, who was believed to have suffered cuts and grazes.

Seven-year-old donkey Daisy did not survive. Her foal, just a few weeks old, has now been taken off the Forest and is being cared for by a local vet, who had recently taken in another foal.

Commoner Gilly Jones, of New Forest Roads Awareness, told the A&T crashes involving a motorcyclists were "very rare" but added: "They are accidents but rather than think it will never happen, people need to think it could.

"It is general complacency. Foals have no road sense.

"It is being cared for and in the best hands, but it should be able to roam free on the Forest."

She said the death was particularly hard for the owner, a 12-year-old commoner, who had grown up with Daisy.

Part of tackling animal road deaths includes educating people to not feed the Forest stock, she added, as encouraging them towards vehicles results in a lack of fear.

Gilly said: "It is learnt behaviour. I recently found lettuce and cucumber dumped in the middle of a road that was still cold – still people think it is acceptable."