An adorable baby donkey who was heartlessly stolen from her mother just over two weeks ago has been found and is safe and sound.
Two-month-old foal Moon, who had not yet been weaned from her mother Astra's milk, was snatched from a farm on May 15, sparking a huge search after the case went viral online.
Police launched an appeal after receiving a lead that a donkey matching Moon's description had been seen in the back of a car on May 15 at about 3pm.
Following her foal's disappearance, heartbroken mum Astra could be heard "braying" and desperately searching for her baby.
Today, Moon's owners at Miller's Ark, in Hook, Hampshire, have announced they are "beyond thrilled" to have found the miniature donkey, who is only 1ft 6ins tall.
The owners' plight had captured the hearts of thousands of people, who were key in getting the donkey back to its owners. There were a number of credible sightings, with officers following up on all leads received.
The farm even received an offer from a private donor of £10,000 for Moon's safe return, and a Go Fund Me was set up.
With the help of Thames Valley Police, the owners travelled more than 60 miles to Buckinghamshire to retrieve the tiny animal.
Pleased volunteer Pamela Jessopp explained that they had hurried to Buckinghamshire after a member of the public had spotted Moon on her land in a stable. She said: "We are beyond ecstatic, we are trying to find the words but are very emotional. We are thrilled that Moon and mum are back together.
"It had been over two weeks, you don't give up hope but you think as the timeframe expands 'are we losing our window? Is she OK?
"But, she was being looked after and she appears to be in good health. She was so happy to see us that her tail was swishing.
"Now it's the job of bonding her with her mother Astra as her her milk has dried up. But we have a solution for that and her mother was very happy to see her."
The farm added in a recent Facebook post: "We are beyond thrilled and Mum and foal are finally back together. Moon appears to be in good health, thank heaven, and we will make sure that Moon and her mum Astra get lots of love and care as they re-discover each other."
They also thanked the public for sharing its plea to find Moon. "Now you have brought her home," they added.
Now a heartwarming video shows the moment Elizabeth Miller, who owns Miller's Ark, was reunited with baby Moon. As she hugs the donkey she can be heard saying "look who's back" and "my baby".
Moon is a Mediterranean Miniature Donkey, a breed which struggles to regulate heat and can need blankets to keep warm at night, so her owners were very worried about her.
Police Sergeant Stuart Ross, of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary's Countrywatch team, said: "This was a fantastic piece of joint working from Countrywatch and Thames Valley Police's Rural Task Force team.
"Our appeals to find Moon attracted countless calls and online reports from members of the public with possible sightings and potential lines of enquiry and we want to thank everyone who shared these appeals and got in touch with us.
"We have worked tirelessly to locate Moon, scouring CCTV footage and chasing every thread of information to see if we could find her, so we are absolutely delighted about this positive outcome."
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