Free-roaming donkeys in the New Forest national park have been caught breaking into newly introduced food waste bins, prompting concerns among locals about the spread of disease. The animals have been seen toppling the bins and feasting on scraps in villages such as Brockenhurst.
Gail Whitcher, a resident who photographed the donkeys eating from a toppled bin, described the scene as 'chaos' on Facebook. She urged others to keep their bins inside gates after witnessing the animals opening them.
The New Forest Commoners Defence Association, which cares for the 200 free-roaming donkeys, warned that the animals could contract foot-and-mouth disease or African swine fever from the waste. Chair Andrew Parry-Norton called for bins to be kept inside property boundaries and for more secure locks to be fitted.
New Forest District Council, which began rolling out the £5.6m food waste recycling programme in April, said the bins are designed to lock securely. A spokesperson noted that the service is still new and that bins have improved street cleanliness compared to the previously used rubbish sacks, which were often ripped open by animals.
