Lulu, like most donkeys, doesn’t give away anything for free. Everything has to be their own idea, sometimes they are in a good mood, sometimes not. Their long suffering history at the hands of humans who overwork them and treat them cruelly has left them wary and fussy about the work they do, or don’t so.

Lulu adores Maria and this morning, she wanted some extra attention. She head-butted and whinnied until she got Maria to pay attention to her, and then the two of them put their heads together and communed with one another.

Donkeys can be astonishingly intuitive and affectionate – if they feel like it.