A passer-by spotted the young donkey, named Eeyore, down the well in a field in Orton and called the fire service and RSPCA for help.

An RSPCA inspector, an animal collection officer, three fire engines, two rescue tenders from Desborough and a vet.

Police closed Loddington Road while the vet sedated the donkey and firefighters placed slings around him.

The rescue took about two hours on June 6, and eventually the frightened donkey was hauled out of the well.

RSPCA inspector Cherry Evans dried Eeyore and wrapped him in a foil blanket to keep him warm while officers waited for his owner to arrive.

Luckily Eeyore only suffered a couple of scrapes in the incident.#

Eeyore's owner took the donkey and his stablemate, a chestnut pony, to a friend's stable to recover from the dramatic rescue.

Insp Evans said: "We were so grateful to the fire service for their help in moving Eeyore to safety, as we just don't have the equipment needed.

"It is amazing that the donkey escaped with only a few scratches and it is thanks to the person who spotted him and the firefighters from Kettering, Mereway, The Mounts and Wellingborough that he is alive and well."

A spokesman for the Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "We got a call from a family who go along to look at the donkey.

"He wasn't there and they could hear him and could see his head sticking out from the well.

"We went to get him out. He was lovely and was just relieved to be out.
"We had to call the vet to make sure there was no harm done. He was a lovely little thing."