The Botanic Gardens Zoo curator arrived at work on March 26 to a most pleasant surprise – a new baby donkey to parent donkeys Jenny and Forrest.

“I got here Monday morning and was a bit shocked to find a new little boy, a little colt, in the enclosure,” she said.

“We knew it was coming in but we were very surprised because he wasn’t due until the end of April.

“Thankfully, it’s all gone well since Monday.”

The yet-to-be named colt is the second arrival at the Botanic Gardens Zoo since Forrest Junior was born last year. 

Wagga’s newest arrival has since been officially unveiled, much to the delight of zookeepers and administrative staff.

“Every time we get a little baby animal is a very exciting time for the zoo,” operations manager Stephen Jewell said.

“People go because it’s just something a little different.”

“It’s not quite a baby elephant but it’s certainly a novelty and it brings people along.”

The novelty is not without some sacrifice – Forrest Junior will have to find a new home to avoid a male-centric enclosure. 

“He’s going to be moved on as three boys in the one space will tend to fight,” Ms McBeth said.

“We’ll be putting a tender to farms and other properties that might be able to take him, so if you’re after a donkey, let us know.”

As for the latest arrival, there’s a few hurdles on the way but signs are positive

“He’s still on milk and will be fed by his mum for about three to four months,” she said.

“He’s also stumbling around and still finding his legs – we caught him on video getting tangled in his own legs a little earlier.

“We’ll be keeping him for a while yet though.”

So what of the young donkey’s name?

“We’re thinking we want to keep to the Forrest Gump theme of names,” Ms McBeth said.

Perhaps Bubba or Lieutenant Dan, then, could be our new moniker?

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