Member Article

Eeyore having a laugh!

Mischievous parrots at one of the region’s leading family attractions are making an ass of staff…by impersonating donkeys!

Some of the rare macaw parrots at Mini Moo’s Fun Farm near Chester-le-Street have started mimicking the braying sounds they can hear from the adventure park’s nearby donkey enclosure.

Staff were perplexed when they first heard honking noises emanating from outside the enclosure, and even wondered if one of their precious miniature donkeys had escaped.

It was only then that they realised the macaws were responsible.

Mini Moo’s owner Ian Emmerson said: “I couldn’t believe it when I realised Lily, our eight-year-old blue and gold macaw, was making the noise.

“We all know parrots can mimic humans, but I’d never heard of one impersonating a donkey…that’s quite an achievement given the racket donkeys make when they get started!”

Ian added: “Lily was the gang leader but now some of the other macaws are copying her, parrot fashion, as it were!

“The sound they make is incredibly loud and we all have a good chuckle whenever it happens

“I can only assume this came about because of the close proximity of their respective enclosures.

The popular fun farm specialises in miniature breeds and is home to 10 rare macaws and 20 donkeys, including Stinson who, at just 28ins tall, is officially the UK’s smallest. The 50-acre attraction also houses rare breeds of rabbits, pigs, alpacas and other farm animals.

And it boasts a 50,000 sq ft indoor play space, picnic areas and a mile-long ancient woodland walk.

Staff at the farm, which usually only opens on Saturdays and Sundays, are gearing up for a busy summer when they will open their doors seven days a week through the school holiday period, starting this weekend.

And tomorrow (Saturday, July 19) will be extra special as the farm is playing host to a Shaun the Sheep activity day – giving youngsters a chance to meet Shaun and take part in the Shaun the Sheep trail.

And by visiting the Mini Moo’s website, families of four can take advantage of a special offer – a voucher entitling them to access for just £20, a saving of £10.

Meanwhile, due to the hot weather, staff have been stocking up on sun cream to protect one of their most cherished small breeds – Carlee, a rare blue-eyed ivory donkey who is especially prone to sunburn.

Ian explained: “Carlee is very special to us because she’s one of just a handful of her breed in Europe and thought to be the only in the UK.

“However, she needs special attention. She is so light skinned that she would burn really badly if we didn’t apply sun cream when she is outdoors.

“It might seem like a strange thing to do, especially as we just use regular sun cream, but her skin would get extremely dry and sore if we didn’t take this precaution. She doesn’t mind though. In fact, she’s bit of a diva and seems to enjoy the attention!”

Carlee is a nine-year-old Mediterranean Miniature, a breed that originated in Sicily and Sardinia but became extinct there in the 1920s – with only a handful that were taken to America surviving.

For further details, visit http://minimoosfarm.co.uk/

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ken Oxley .