One of the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary's oldest residents has died.
The sanctuary posted to say "old age finally got the better of Naomi", who passed away in the early hours of this morning.
Being in her forties, she was a longstanding member of the 'Old and Proud' herd.
Staff say the grey and white donkey was well-recognised by visitors because she only had one eye and no teeth, meaning her tongue was often seen poking out.
Posting on Facebook, the sanctuary said:
"Naomi loved her food, but her weight used to fluctuate so much that she often found herself in different groups, which didn’t matter because Naomi had friends everywhere - a testament to her kind and gentle nature. In her younger years she was in the main girl’s herd, but often went for holidays in the diet herd.
"As she grew older, she found herself in the Old and Proud Herd, where two of the old gentleman, Colin and Eric kept a caring and watchful eye on her through the years.
"Naomi was such a calm donkey that in her earlier life she loved working with children. She had a reassuring presence and children trusted her implicitly. She was a ‘go to’ donkey for grooming and she often came away from a grooming pen, looking ‘a million dollars’ with a shiny coat and that look of ‘I have really enjoyed myself’!!
"She adored being pampered and all the attention from the public that she received. Many of our staff and volunteers affectionately called her Nim Nom, and she was instantly loved by everyone that met and cared for her."
Staff said Naomi was "happy, content, was hugely loved, and ended her days surrounded by her favourite donkey friends."
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