Our Animals for Sponsorship
At Ferne we have over three-hundred resident animals that need life-long care.
Your sponsorship means we can feed, care for and provide further enrichment for our much-loved residents.
Sponsorship packs include a sponsorship certificate with animal photograph and story, a free one-day pass to visit your sponsored animal, our @Ferne Magazine issued three times a year and updates on your sponsored animal. Please note if purchasing sponsorship by Direct Debit, your pack will be sent upon receipt of the first payment. Sponsorship packs are posted to UK addresses only, however digital packs can be sent for orders overseas.
Why don’t you make a gift of your sponsorship? Choose who you would like to sponsor and give it to the person who has everything! Or treat yourself, or a child – you’ll feel great and our animals will be happy and content.
Bamboo
Animal : Cow
Breed : Simmental X
Sex : Female
Colour : Brown & Beige
About me :
Bamboo a very pretty cow arrived at the Sanctuary in 2018 with her Mum Willow due to loss of grazing. Bamboo is a very shy but sweet addition to our herd of cattle and will remain at the Sanctuary together with her Mum. They will have a very good future here at Ferne, being well looked after and plenty of grass to graze!
Walter
Animal : Goat
Breed : x Breed
Sex : Male
Colour : Grey & White
About me :
Walter came to Ferne as an orphan in 2015, he was found after his Mum tragically fell from a cliff edge. Poor Walter was only a few hours old when he arrived at Ferne, small and fragile, he was hand reared by our dedicated Animal Care team. Walter wouldn’t have survived without the help of Ferne. He has become a handsome, cheeky young man who loves spending the summer out in the field with his friends and the Winter in the barn as he is not a fan of the cold weather!
Sid
Animal : Tortoise
Breed : Hermann’s
Sex : Female
About me :
Sid was found abandoned in a country lane with extensive damage to her shell, probably caused by a dog or fox. Sid is now far more mobile than when she arrived and now lives with all our other tortoises enjoying munching on her fresh daily greens and sunbathing under the sun lamp.
Fergus
Animal : Sheep
Breed : Soay
Sex : Male
Colour : Black / Brown
About me :
Fergus joined the resident animals at Ferne as he was too lively for his previous owner. He is a boisterous boy with a strong character and beautiful impressive full-curl horns. In the field he is Mr independent but very much the one the other boys look up to.
Billie
Animal : Pig
Breed : Mangalitsa / Saddle Back X
Sex : Female
Colour : Black
About me :
Billie arrived in 2018 with her Mum Blossom as their previous owner became unwell and unable to give them the care they needed. Billie loves a belly scratch and will roll over at the fence for anyone willing to offer this. Our pig enclosure is enriched with activities to keep them amused and the water container filled with pig nuts is Billie’s favourite game, she is often found carrying it around the field! Pigs will be pigs and there’s nothing Billie likes more than rolling in the mud and trying to splash visitors.
Oscar
Animal : Cat
Breed : Domestic Long Hair
Sex : Male
Colour : Black
About me :
Oscar came to us as stray in June 2021. Unfortunately, he was heavily matted when he arrived and it was causing him great discomfort. Thankfully our amazing animal care team looked after him and made him much more comfortable. Oscar has really made himself at home with us and can be quite bossy with the other cats!
Ruffles
Animal : Pig
Breed : Kune Kune
Sex : Female
Colour : Pink & Black
About me :
Ruffles is a Kune Kune pig who arrived at Ferne as her owners no longer had the space for her. Ruffles loves human attention and will rush over to you for a fuss! She has a pair of tassels under her chin called Piri Piri, which is a classic feature of a Kune Kune pig. Ruffles loves being scratched and in the Summer months enjoys having her sun lotion applied! With a fruit and veg snack at lunch time she is always first in the queue, after which she enjoys playing in mud baths and getting up to ‘piggy’ mischief!
Manuel and Diego
Animal : Donkey
Breed : Welsh Section A x & Shetland Pony X donkey
Sex : Male
Colour : Brown
About me :
Manuel (Manny) is a Welsh section A crossed with a donkey, Diego is a shetland pony crossed with a donkey. These guys have not had a great start in life which means they can sometimes be very challenging behaviourally, particularly Diego. These guys play hard! When they first arrived at Ferne they would do this to us if treats were not forthcoming! But with time and routine thanks to the brilliant Animal Care team, they have settled down a little. Manuel is fairly straight forward and will allow most people to handle him, whereas Diego can be very nervous and likes to choose his handler. Both have learned that in order to get a treat, they have to do something to get it!
Arnie
Animal : Pony
Breed : Miniature Shetland
Sex : Male
Colour : Cream Dun
About me :
Arnie is a miniature Shetland and he stands at an impressive 30 inches tall! Arnie was a companion for his owners Daughters horse who was sold so he was then no longer needed. He was really well looked after by his owners and is in excellent condition, considering his health issues. Arnie has Equine Metabolic Syndrome, Cushings and Sarcoids, which makes him extremely difficult to re-home due to him needing very careful management and requiring medication twice daily for the rest of his life (this is likely to increase as he ages). He is only 9 years old and he could live into his 30s, maybe longer!! Despite his young age, he is a bit like a little old man! He is really sweet and quiet, although he will give Wotsit as good as he gets if there is a bit of hay they both want.
Gordon
Animal : Horse
Breed : Hannovarian X TB
Sex : Male
Colour : Bay
About me :
Gordon was found abandoned in a field in the middle of winter. He was cold and starved, suffering from malnutrition which led to serious gastric ulcers. Gordon’s diet had to be carefully monitored to bring him back to full strength and he underwent extensive physiotherapy to improve his mobility. Gordon is extremely handsome but due to his anxiety issues and the behaviours this can cause, can be unpredictable, so he enjoys peace and quiet with his friends away from the busier parts of the Sanctuary. He has constant companionship, free access to forage and the choice of whether to be in or out at any time.
The Chickens
About us :
We have quite a variety of chickens onsite who all enjoy a free-range life at Ferne. They live here for many reasons; some have been rehomed to us due to a change in circumstances, were no longer wanted or were in danger from predators. They will all live with us to free roam the Sanctuary for the rest of their lives. They love to spend the day scratching the ground for worms, seeds and insects. Our Animal Care team scatter around extra food for the chickens to forage for, this helps to keep them busy and healthy.
The Guinea Pigs
About us :
Ferne currently provides a home for 17 guinea pigs and these little guys all have a large enclosure with plenty of enrichment. For this reason, we do not usually rehome our guinea pigs as we believe moving them from the Sanctuary would not benefit their wellbeing. They live in several groups with lots of company, which guinea pigs love! Their enclosures provide them with lots of places to hide when the Sanctuary is busy. This is a natural behaviour for little prey animals Guinea pigs do not produce their own vitamin C so they require large quantities of daily fresh fruit and vegetables, if you are nice and quiet you will see them having a good old munch, otherwise they will hide away in one of their many hiding places!