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Thursday 11am - 4pm Friday 11am - 4pm Saturday 11am - 4pm Sunday 11am - 4pm

The Flicka Foundation Donkey Sanctuary

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The Flicka Foundation Donkey Sanctuary

The Flicka Foundation rescues donkeys from situations of abuse, neglect and abandonment and allows t
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Founded over 25 years ago, our sanctuary site now provides a safe home for life to over 100 donkeys and horses, all rescued from abuse, neglect and abandonment.

16/08/2026

We thought you'd like to see Ernie and Amos again - and this is what they do....alot!! ❤💕❤

Ernie and Amos came from a loving home, unlike the majority of Flicka's donkeys so there’s nothing quite as joyful as watching them play. Chasing each other, a cheeky nip, a burst of energy across the field, tug of war with their wellies.... it’s their way of expressing happiness, confidence, and connection.

Play is incredibly important for donkeys. It helps them build strong social bonds, release tension, and practise the natural behaviours that they may have missed out on before coming to sanctuary life. When you see them running, rolling, or nudging each other, you’re witnessing trust, comfort, and emotional healing in action.

These playful moments tells us they feel safe, relaxed, and free to be themselves, that’s exactly what sanctuary is meant to be 💛💛💛

Have a good Sunday everyone, we are open for visits and delicious food in the Tea Bray'k, hope to see you here, take care ######

15/08/2026

Who belongs to these ears?? 🤔

Some donkey ear facts for you...

For temperature control - donkeys operate thermoregulation (a cooling system)...

They evolved in extremely hot, arid environments, their long ears contain a dense network of blood vessels. When the donkey overheats, these vessels widen (called vasodilation), sending warm blood to the ear surface where heat can dissipate. This prevents overheating while conserving water.

For enhanced hearing, their large, funnel‑shaped pinnae (the outer ear) collect faint sounds and amplify them. Donkeys can rotate each ear independently through nearly 180°, allowing precise sound localisation, vital for detecting predators and communicating across long distances.

For communication

Ear position is a major part of donkey body language and communication. Forward, sideways, pinned back and swivelling, each position signals attention, mood, or social intent.

Donkeys descend from the African wild ass, adapted to desert climates. Their ears can reach up to 30 cm (12 inches) in length, far larger proportionally than horses or zebras. This size evolved because it dramatically improves both cooling and hearing in harsh environments.

There you have it, as well as being beautiful, a donkeys ears are vital to their well being and life ❤❤❤

Oh, if you hadn't guessed already, those ears belong to Lo**ta 💕💕💕

Have a wonderful Saturday folks, take care ######

14/08/2026

Flickalphabet Friday......

Sophia ❤

Saved from market and quite heavily in foal, our beautiful, gentle Sophia gave birth to our handsome Archie 💕💕💕

Sophia is stunning, kind and sociable, so very aptly named 🥰

Have a great day everyone. Take care ###### 🙏

13/08/2026

Everyone is in love with Paddington ❤❤❤

All his herd family and all his human family adore this beautiful little package of divineness 😅Nothing can 'eclipse' his glow of perfection 🌘

So we want to light up this page with 💛💛💛 if you are a Paddington groupie.

Hope you manage to keep cool today, we are open for donkey time - take care ######

12/08/2026

Wonderful Walter for your Wednesday ❤ A still moment in the heat of the day ☀

Walter is a such popular donkey with so many of you, perhaps because his very sad back story has touched alot of hearts.....

Such a lovely friendly boy with a very playful character, he just enjoys being a donkey and having the free will to be so ❤🥰❤

Have a good day everyone, be vigilant with sunshine and heat, for all your fur family too 🙏 ######

11/08/2026

We thought you'd enjoy seeing Iris sporting her very fetching summer protection 🐝The socks were very kindly donated 💕

These hot sunny days are a bit of a challenge for some of the donkeys. When a donkey’s eyes water, even just a little, the flies are on them in an instant. They gather around the eyelids, causing irritation, soreness, and endless frustration for the donkeys.

Others are plagued by flies around their legs. Sensitive skin, old scars, or simply being a favourite target means they spend half their day stamping and swishing their tales to keep the flies away.

This is why you’ll often see some of our donkeys wearing their fly masks or leg stockings. These simple bits of summer protection make a huge difference. They keep the eyes safe, deter bites on delicate legs, and let our donkeys relax, graze, and snooze without constant irritation.
...and if we can jolly up the fashion, it makes it even lovelier for them ❤🥰❤

Have a good day everyone, take care of you and your fur family in this heat ######

10/08/2026

Flickalphabet day....

Snowdrop ❤

Dear little Snowdrop arrived in 2021 with a group of donkeys we called 'The Herd of Hope' - their condition was shocking, with a demeanour ranging from shut down, to terrified.

Snowdrop was the latter, on arrival she could barely walk due to her feet being so dangerously long, her deformed gait was a result of trying long term to accommodate her distorted, overgrown hooves and cope with the pain. It was very upsetting and heart-breaking to witness. We also became aware of Snowdrops' poor eyesight, we can only make assumptions why - but this only adds to her anxiety.

Over the course of her time at Flicka we have let Snowdrop lead us, tell her story and come forward if she wants to.

Five years on, she is still very nervous, but little inroads are joyful, she will now come and stand next to us whilst grooming or tending to another donkey, and recently we think she actually asked for some fuss. These may seem very small advancements, but they are mammoth steps for Snowdrop who has spent a lifetime in fear. A beautiful soul who has been so badly damaged, all the team at Flicka consider her space daily and move about her orbit....softy softly......❤

Have a great start to your week everyone, take care ######

09/08/2026

We can still see you Lettie! 😅😅🥰

Where one of our big trees was toppled during Storm Goretti (which seems a lifetime ago currently) the donkeys have thoroughly enjoyed stripping it and making a nice tunnel den that they frequent alot ❤

You may have noticed during visits, some of the donkeys have small rough patches about their faces, this is because during the summer they burrow their heads into the hedges & blackberry brambles (and this big tree) to find tasty morsels, not minding at all they get prickles on their noses and cheeks 🤷‍♀️ 💕💕

Enjoy your Sunday everyone, we are open for visits today, just another reminder, we open at 11.00 am, we cannot open earlier as we are mucking out, feeding and have trucks, vehicles and donkeys everywhere. Please be patient when arriving. Thank you and take care ###### ❤

08/08/2026

By special request......Barney 🥰

Barney arrived some years ago from across the sea, he had such a long woolly coat we were shocked to discover how thin he was underneath.

Barney lives in Bilbo's barn after he had some mild asthmatic flare ups, but it is well controlled now on the dust free shavings bed they have, and just like Snowberry yesterday, he is another member of the 'Brat Pack' he just loves to play with his friends ❤❤❤

Enjoy the start to your weekend everyone, we are open as usual today - again we must ask for your patience, it has been very busy and we are a small site with finite space and resources 🙏 we want you all to love our donkeys 🥰 Take care ######

07/08/2026

It's Flickalphabet Friday

Snowberry ❤

Snowberry was one of the first donkeys onto Flicka soil, he along with his very famous Mum Marybelle, were seized on arrival into the UK from Romania in 2008 (a lifetime ago)!! He was a foal at foot of around 6 months old.

Marybelle as many of you will know, was gravely ill, so Snowberry had to grow up within the security of the rest in the group. He was reunited with his Mum when she was much stronger, but by then Snowberry loved to be with Milo and Minstrel. Marybelle too, had found some soul-mates in Lonely & Primrose ❤❤❤

Snowberry was a pioneer member of the 'Brat Pack' he just loved getting into mischief and being amongst any trouble afoot with Milo and Minstrel who arrived at the same time. Since then the 'Pack' has a few additions, in the shape of Barney and Danny 😅

Enjoy your Friday everyone, we are open for donkey time...please be patient if you're heading this way, summer holidays bring alot of people wanting donkey time, but we only have one entrance in and one entrance out, and finite space. Perhaps come along later in the day 🙏 We want you all to meet our Flicka Family - take care ######

Address

Penty Noweth Farm, Trenoweth Lane
Penryn
TR109JB

Opening Hours

Thursday	11am - 4pm
Friday	11am - 4pm
Saturday	11am - 4pm
Sunday	11am - 4pm

Telephone

+441326373601

Website

http://www.flickafoundation.org.uk/

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