Lonegan the wonky donkey finds his feet again after pioneering surgery fixes his twisted legs

Lonegan the wonky donkey is finding his feet after world-first surgery on his legs that were so badly deformed he couldn't stand up.

He is just one of four sets of miniature donkey twins in the world - but it is his against-the-odds survival at birth that left him so knock-kneed that he couldn't move from his mother's side.

But his owner and a devoted animal surgeon were determined to give him every chance of living a relatively normal life and after a series of unique operations, using plaster casts and splints, he is now getting ready for the pins that will be inserted into his knees.

Pregnant miniature donkeys almost never carry twins, either aborting both at six months or giving birth to one live and one stillborn.

But Lonegan and his twin, Donegan - named after British singer Lonnie Donegan, who died in 2002 - came into the world prematurely but alive, to the amazement of their breeder, Miss Barbara Bracken at the Willowdale Donkey Stud in Western Australia.

The cramped conditions in his mother's womb and the pressure on Lonegan's legs, however, was so extreme that he began life as a cripple. His legs were so twisted they were almost back to front.

“His leg deformity meant that when he was able to stand he was walking on the sides of his legs instead of his little hooves. 

“This was going to cause further problems in the future because his muscles and shoulders would be affected by the pressure. It was so difficult for him to move, but one thing about him stood out - his great courage.

Lonegan (right) and his brother Donegan with their mother

“It was heartbreaking to see such a lovely little fellow struggling like that and while I knew that corrective surgery would probably not be possible, simply because it hadn't been done on a donkey before, having him put down was entirely out of the question.”

So Miss Bracken began searching for someone who might be able to help Lonegan.

Local media groups began to publicise the little donkey's plight and it wasn't long before a top specialist, David Murphy, associate professor at Murdoch University's equine centre in Western Australia, stepped forward with an offer of help.

Recovery: Lonegan after his operation

Lonegan's front legs were X-rayed and then he was fitted out with plaster casts to help pull his bones straighter and strengthen them.

After a few months, the casts were replaced by splints, which are still being changed daily.

“We see this problem in horses sometimes but never in donkey and certainly nothing as bad as this,” said Professor Murphy. “But I've got high hopes for him.'”

Lonegan's special care is likely to continue for another three years while he grows and his legs develop. It is likely that he will need operations in the months to come to put pins in one or both knees for added strength.

“When he's fully grown, he'll still be only about 3ft or so tall, which is normal,” said Miss Bracken. “I can't wait for the day when I see him trotting around happily with his brother.”