A LONELY donkey that was unable to bray properly has learned the language of love.

Dixie the donkey, which baffled animal behaviourists with her backwards bray, is now the proud mother of a foal.

When Dixie arrived at Ramshaw Rescue Centre, near Evenwood, County Durham, in 2000, owner Kate Wilson was amazed when she heard the animal bray.

Instead of the usual hee-haw sound, Dixie's bray came out as haw-hee.

It is thought that when she was growing up in solitude, Dixie did not hear the usual donkey sounds and had to teach herself to bray.

But the language barrier proved no obstacle when Dixie met Oswald, another rescued donkey, and their romantic tryst has produced Twister, a piebald foal that is melting the hearts of visitors and staff.

Ms Wilson said: "She's absolutely gorgeous. Everybody who comes here wants to see her, even the vet said she was absolutely stunning.

"I just put Dixie in with Oswald to see what would happen, and 13 months later we have Twister.

"Her dad brays normally, but Dixie stills brays backwards, so it will be interesting to see how Twister is - but we haven't heard anything from her yet."

Animals born at the centre are named after games, and Twister was named after the popular party game.

Ms Wilson added: "If somebody wants to take a donkey we only let them go in pairs or to a place where there's other donkeys or horses, as they're herd animals and need company."

In the 12 years it has been running, the rescue centre has taken on 6,200 dogs, innumerable small animals, and nearly 300 horses.