A BABY donkey is being looked after by a human foster parent after losing its mother in a road accident.

Seven-year-old Daisy was badly-injured in a collision with a motorbike in the New Forest and was humanely destroyed by one of the agisters.

Her baby, thought to be only a few weeks old, is being bottle fed by a vet.

The accident occurred on the B3055 near the entrance to Hawkhill car park, between Beaulieu and Brockenhurst, last Thursday at around 9pm.

Now drivers are being urged to take extra care following the recent birth of foals and baby donkeys across the Forest.

All the free-roaming animals are owned by people known as commoners - villagers with the right to let their livestock graze the landscape.

Gilly Jones, of the New Forest Roads Awareness group, said: "The accident involving Daisy involved a motorcycle, which is very rare.

"Daisy was owned by a 12-year-old boy and it's a real shame for him to lose an animal. Her baby is being looked after by one of the local vets."

Many people have taken to social media in the wake of Daisy's death.

One person posted: "If you choose to drive across the New Forest there is a small chance you will hit an animal - even if you drive carefully."

Another said she witnessed two baby donkeys at their mothers at Beaulieu.

"They were nearly lost because of people not going slow enough around corners. Yes they were under the legal limit but they were still going far too fast," she said.

"If you go over a cattle grid expect animals around every corner. Luckily the donkeys I saw were OK. Next time the outcome might be different.

Animals are notorious for having little or no road sense.

Some of the accidents are caused by foals dashing across the road to join their mother after spotting an oncoming car. Others involve drivers exceeding the 40mph speed limit that exists on all unfenced roads.

Recent speed checks carried out by members of the Hampshire Countrywatch team between Beaulieu and Hilltop resulted in eight tickets being issued.

A driver in another part of the Forest was caught travelling at 70mph.

In December last year three donkeys were killed in accident with a white Mercedes van on Roger Penny Way.

Another three donkeys died in a similar incident on the same road in 2014. They were hit by at least two vehicles, one of which failed to stop.

In 2019 a badly-injured donkey was left lying in the road by a driver who failed to report the accident for about 15 hours.

Three-year-old Joelle is thought to have suffered a broken back in the collision, which occurred on the Hilltop to Ipers Bridge road.

She was owned by Dan Rangecroft, 20, of Marchwood, who has lost about ten animals in road accidents since he started commoning.

He said: "The accident was reported - but not for about 15 hours. The motorist should have stayed at the scene and reported it at the time."

Writing on social media his mother Sarah added: "If another member of the public had not reported it, she could have been suffering all night."

Joelle was humanely destroyed by agister Mike Lovell, who lived nearby and was quickly on the scene.