‘Other than being a bit cold and a bit smelly he still had a full appetite,’ rescuer says

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

A miniature donkey has caused a stink after falling into a large septic tank, sparking a challenging rescue north of Brisbane.

Firefighters were called to a Morayfield property on Thursday night after its panicked owners called to say their donkey had tumbled into the concrete tank and was wedged firmly inside.

Officers had to think hard about how to haul the animal out without hurting it.

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After pumping the tank dry, they used a large tripod to support slings that were carefully slipped around the donkey’s belly. Shortly afterwards the beloved beast was out, happily munching on carrots and apparently unscathed.

“He was fine. We were a bit surprised actually,” a Caboolture fire station officer, Scott Marles, told the ABC on Friday. “The owners had some carrots there ... Other than being a bit cold and a bit smelly he still had a full appetite.”

Marles said the donkey was lucky to have survived, with only its head above the murky mess when help arrived. “Apparently donkeys are infamous for getting in trouble,” he said.

“They just had a little cover over the top of the septic tank, made of fibreglass or something like that. He’s kicked that off and he’s fallen in.

“We’ve had some different calls over the years, but this was a little bit more unusual than what we normally get up here.”