Dreadlock donkeys get a trim

A pack of hairy donkeys have had their locks cut for the first time in 17 years to help them keep cool in the hot weather.

The rare French breed, called Baudet du Poitou, are not meant to be groomed and their fur is left to grow into long dreadlocks.
The seven donkeys, originally from
France, live with owner Annie Pollock and her 10-year-old daughter Zoe at Norley Farm, near Lymington, Hampshire.
Mrs Pollock decided to give them all a trim to stop them getting irritated and overly hot: "It's not very nice being sweaty when you are this hairy," she said.
The Baudet de Poitouare breed is believed to be one of the oldest donkeys species and it is thought they have existed in France since the Roman occupation of 54BC.
With only 50 foals born worldwide every year, the species is now even rarer than both white rhinos and giant pandas.