Turtle Valley Donkey Refuge ~ Chase, BC



Donkey Days Celebration!  My interest was piqued when I saw an ad in the Kamloops paper showing there would be an open house held at a donkey refuge.  I had read an article a few months ago and was curious about the refuge but this offered an invitation to come out and see the Turtle Valley Donkey Refuge.  Sounds like fun to me.

The entrance to Turtle Valley Donkey Refuge

The Turtle Valley Donkey Refuge owners, Rob and Shirley have been rescuing donkeys from all over B.C. since 1999 but it is only in the last 3 years that they have been open to the public. They now have 29 donkeys live here on the 80 acres and the herd is growing as the accommodations allow.

The donkeys gather under the trees at the Turtle Valley Donkey Refuge

The rescue donkey may come from a neglectful or abusive situation or may be submitted by an owner when they can no longer care for them, but most of them have health or other problems. The veterinarians will check them and put them on the right program to heal. Several have had to have dental care, which is done by a local vet who specializes in equine dental care.  The farrier will tend to the needs of proper care of their feet and hooves, some donkeys have arrived having difficulty walking, due to poor foot care.

Kiki ~ an adorable donkey at the Turtle Valley Donkey Refuge

It is difficult to look at some of the photos that show what the donkeys looked like when they arrived but it must be very rewarding for those involved to see them after they’ve received lots of love and attention.  Many donkeys arrive with issues of trust of humans after being abused and it takes a long time but with kindness and good care, and they have plenty of that here at Turtle Valley Donkey Refuge, they do heal.

Donkey cupcakes at the Turtle Valley Donkey Refuge fundraiser

There were bands playing (we heard some great music), face painting as well as farrier and blacksmith demos, also informational lectures from the veterinarians that care for the donkeys.  Volunteers with an imagination made some ‘donkey muffins’ that added to the fun and was part of the fundraising.

Rita Winning ~ Fibre and Textile artist

The rainy weekend did not put a damper on the festivities of the Open House. We saw many coming to have a look at the donkeys and where they live and enjoying the many demonstrations and sights to see at this celebration.  There are people involved in several ways of being part of the fundraiser for the day, including Rita. 

Tiny Tim, Timmy and friend in the barn at Turtle Valley Donkey Refuge

Tiny Tim is not very old, I believe, but he appears to be pretty cranky and not too sociable here.  The other donkeys prefer to stay clear of him and definitely did not want to come into the barn when he was there.  It was a struggle but Timmy stepped up to the challenge and did come in to see the kids.

Timmy enjoys the cuddles and attention at Turtle Valley Donkey Refuge

Timmy, a mini Mediterranean donkey, is 28 years old and 34” tall and loves children.  He showed off his teeth to some little ones and enjoyed all the attention he received.  He is a very protective donkey, too, he once caught and killed a coyote who was threatening the herd.

George stands in the covered area at the Turtle Valley Donkey Refuge

George is 6 years old and has a loud and squeaky bray, which may be the reason he is called boisterous, but he was quiet during our visit to the barn and he’s considered to be a kind donkey.  He arrived with an abscess that causes him severe pain that may take months or years to heal, in the meantime he must remain here at the barn.

Jose ~ Standard Pitou donkey at the Turtle Valley Donkey Refuge

Had someone asked me what animal I would call ‘adorable’ or ‘cuddly’, I would instantly say a kitten or puppy but I think I have to add a donkey to that list!  It was amazing to see how they like to hug and cuddle with people.  Jose soon became my buddy after a few scratches behind the ears and wasn’t willing to give that up too soon.



Sassy at Turtle Valley Donkey Refuge

There is a story for every donkey that lives in the Refuge and some of them are very sad. A quote from the owner is “Donkeys give gentle love to their owners and are easily vulnerable to abuse.” That is heartbreaking to hear, but wonderful to know there is this refuge they can come to.

The wonderful atmosphere at the Turtle Valley Donkey Refuge shows all the love they’re given from the staff and volunteers and how happy the donkeys become once they’ve been rehabilitated here.

The barns, pens and surroundings were immaculately clean and very impressive, a result of hard work and the dedication of many. The donkeys looked great in their Sunday best when we were there and were wearing a name band around their neck for us to identify them.

We can only hope that the Open House and fundraiser will help keep these donkeys and those to come, safe from harm and happy.

There are several ways to help the Turtle Valley Donkey Refuge, whether by volunteering or contributions to sponsor one of the special donkeys so click here and learn more. They’re open to the public for summer hours on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from 11:00am to 4:00pm. 

It's a great place to spend some time and the donkeys love your visits.

There is just no place like home and this is home to these donkeys.

Bald Headed Eagles ~ South Thompson River ~ Chase, BC

We had recently driven the highway near Chase, BC, about 30 minutes east of Kamloops and were so surprised at the number of bald headed eagles that we could see in the trees near the South Thompson River.  We made the plan to come back out soon to get some pictures.


South Thompson River at Chase, BC

Eagles are not rare in this area but we hadn’t seen them in these numbers before so this was quite amazing.  We weren’t seeing their large stick nests, which are usually very visible high in barren trees so we don’t know where they’d been nesting.

Three bald headed eagles watch for fish in the river below

Eagles mate for life and can live up to 30 years old. Both male and female look after the 2-3 eggs for the 35 days of incubation and both hunt for food for the young until they’re ready to fly at 10 -13 weeks of age. Fish is the biggest part of their diet so they build their nests near water, either rivers or the ocean. Eaglets are able to fly for thousands of kilometers and late summer and fall is when they’re learning to hunt for themselves.

Bald headed eagle family

Bald headed eagles are not bald, so the name is misleading but derives from a Middle English word “balled” that means “shining white”.  The young are a mix of brown and white feathers, and we’re seeing that in the majority of eagles on this visit. Even the immature are large and when full grown will have a wing span from 72” TO 90”.

Young bald headed eagles are not yet bald

They reach maturity by the time they are 5 or 6 years old and it is then that both the male and the female have their ‘shining white’ head.  Eagles from the north tend to be a bit larger than those from more southern areas but no matter where they’re from, the females are a bit larger than the males at 35 to 37” tall.  Eagles weigh 10-14 lbs. and can lift up to 4 lbs. 

Four bald headed eagles watch the Trumpeter Swans and Canada Geese fly by

The bald headed eagle has 7000 feathers and those are often part of religious and spiritual customs for First Nations.  They consider it a powerful symbol of courage as well as other significant meanings and use them in traditional ceremonies, including them as part of the decorations on their costumes.  The eagle feather is treated with great honor and is the highest honor that can be given to a person.

The gnarled trees that eagles habitate

We’ve never seen a large number of eagles in flight but that would be called a “kettle of eagles”. Perhaps we haven’t seen this because they’re able to fly at an altitude of 10,000 ft., and during level flight can reach 30-35 mph. We’d have difficulty seeing that far away but with their keen eyesight, they’d be seeing us!


Young bald headed eagles learn to fish in the fall sun

Canada does not recognize the bald headed eagle with any offical label but they are considered a magnificent bird of prey. It is a different story in the US since they became the US National Emblem in 1782. They neared extinction in the U.S. in the 1970’s but that was withdrawn in June 2007 as their numbers having increased enough to say they’re no longer endangered. They are protected by law on both sides of the border.

Trumpeter Swans on the South Thompson River

We drove by the same place a week after our visit for photos and there was only one bald headed eagle to be found. I believe we were ‘honored’ to have seen so many of them as they enjoyed the view from their perches high in the trees in our neighborhood.  Perhaps they were migrating and found this to be a great stopover location, and that means we could look forward to their visit again next year.   In the meantime we can enjoy watching the trumpeter swans as they winter on the South Thompson River.