What better way to spend Mother's Day than joining the Cubs on their trip to Island Farm Donkey Sanctuary in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, followed by an adventurous hike through endless fields, enjoying immersive landscapes and marvelling at the size of the river Thames in Little Wittenham? Here is a recount of what 84th Reading Cubs got up to last weekend! 

Island Farm Donkey Sanctuary welcomed the Cubs on a rainy Sunday morning. Most donkeys avoided the rain by standing under the stable roofs- and this is where the children learned their first fun fact about donkeys for the day- that donkey’s fur isn’t waterproof in the way that other animals like horses are. The donkeys allowed the children to stroke their noses and even reciprocated their curiosity by sniffing some of the children’s’ hands. Afterwards, everyone took turns at guessing how long female donkeys are pregnant for. One cub thought nine months, while another guessed as long as one thousand years! As brilliant as the cubs’ guesswork was, they found out that the correct answer to that question was in fact, thirteen months! 

After lunch, the Cubs travelled to Little Wittenham to go on what would turn out to be a venturesome hike up and down the steepest of hills, striding through vast fields (and seeing some cows on the way), reaching a small forest and crossing two bridges to admire the river Thames. Paths got very muddy because of the rain, but the cubs’ resilience shone, as they ploughed on without complaint and even enjoyed venturing through them! 

With such an educational and fun-filled day out, the Cubs for sure have made some wonderful and unforgettable memories. 

If you want to visit the Island Farm Donkey Sanctuary and donate to support their brilliant cause to rescue and care for mistreated and neglected donkeys as well as other animals, check out their website linked below. 

https://islandfarmdonkeysanctuary.org.uk/