Aliens abduct donkey

Irwin is missing, vanished into thin air. There's no clues, nothing.

The local community has been awesome helping to find him with lots of Facebook postings, letterbox drops and signs going up but, no donkey.

Let me tell you a little about Irwin...
Irwin came to us about 5 years ago from a cattle farm near Boonah where he was one of 6 donkeys guarding a herd of cattle. He was too big for the ladies who had him to look after and so he was offered to me. When we went to pick him up I learnt 2 things about Irwin - he loves a good scratch and he does NOT like floats. Prior to living at Boonah for a few years he had been rescued from the doggers pens on the day Steve Irwin died with another donkey. Steve now lives near the Gold Coast and last heard was learning how to pull a cart.

Irwin came to me with a few trust issues. Whilst he's let me halter and rug him, pop a lead rope on and he'd freeze, with pure panic in his eyes. After about 3 and a half years we sorted that out and now he'll do anything for me (even if he is still working out how to deal with other people).

He is about 15 years old now, which isn't old for a donkey - they live to be about 50. We've fixed a few health issues along the way - bad feet and a bit of a weight problem - and I was only commenting to MOTH last Sunday morning what good condition they both were in while they played next to the house in their paddock. That was the last time we saw him.

He and Guinness get on a bit like two grumpy old men, they occasionally annoy each other, play, and sometimes Guinness (who is only 9) runs away leaving Irwin very upset. When this happens Irwin comes up to the house and brays a very forlorn tone. He's a bit of a scared cat and would never go near the electric fence - that's way too scary for a big grey donkey.

Being a TV star on Totally Wild (he wasn't as into it as Guinness)

Which brings me to the alien theory (which several people have now suggested)...

Initially we feared he'd been bitten by a snake, but after extensive searches of the property, no donkey. And Guinness doesn't know where he is. I've channelled Guinness' Lassie and Skippy but no result.

So, either wild dogs have pushed him through the fence and now he's list, injured or dead OR aliens took him. Here's hoping we find him soon... (Guinness won't shut up)