Mind if I park myself here? I’m in labour!

WHEN you’re about to give birth, there’s no point being stubborn about finding the perfect spot.

Spotting a sanctuary on a family’s driveway, this pregnant donkey dropped to the gravel – and had her foal right next to their parked car.

The special delivery stunned the Sampson family, who watched the heart-warming spectacle unfold in just 30 minutes.

To their delight, the new arrival was up and taking its first faltering steps within two hours before joining the rest of its group. Martin Sampson, 41, noticed the pregnant mother peering in through his kitchen window after turning up with six other donkeys at his home in the New Forest town of Brockenhurst, Hampshire.

Residents in the area are used to seeing some of the national park’s thousands of free roaming wild horses and donkeys straying into their neighbourhood. Mr Sampson, whose five-year-old daughter ellie first noticed the donkey was pregnant, said: ‘There were five or six other donkeys hanging around outside the driveway, as if they were checking it was a safe place to give birth.

‘When we saw that she was going into labour we left some food outside for her energy. She wasn’t in any pain at all during the birth. Watching the baby try to walk was incredible.

‘After two hours of trying to get up and falling over, she finally was able to walk and the mother took her up the road to graze.’

Neighbours say another donkey was born in the spot ten years ago and believe it could be the same animal that returned to give birth herself.

Little donkey: The new arrival is born within 0 minutes next to parked car 3

Bray window: The pregnant donkey peers into kitchen of the Sampson family’s New Forest home 1

Drop: She falls to the gravel driveway after going into labour 2

Wonky: The foal takes its first tentative steps... 4

... but in two hours both mum and baby are up 5