'Exhausted' donkey rescued from storm drain in Cambridgeshire

The donkey has since been named Noah

A donkey, similar to Noah who was rescued in Cambridgeshire (JEAN-CHRISTOPHE VERHAEGEN/AFP/Getty Images)

A donkey has been lifted to safety after it was trapped in a seven-foot storm drain in Cambridge for over five hours.

The exhausted creature, who has since been named Noah, kept its head above water as Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service arrived on the scene on Chishill Road, Heydon, at 6:30pm on Monday.

During the painstaking operation, crews pumped out the drain, before Fire-fighters used shovels and a mechanical excavator to clear an area around Noah.

Apparatus designed to rescue large animals was then used to hoist him to safety. The operation ended five hours later, at around 11pm.

The Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said the donkey was believed to be exhausted but uninjured.

Crew Commander Jeff Whitlam said: “We'd like to thank everyone who came to help, particularly the machine driver and veterinary staff for all their great work and support.

"The crew worked tremendously hard with persistence and professionalism in what was a long and difficult rescue. It was a great team effort with everyone there and thankfully it had a happy ending."

The fire service has since shared a photo of the donkey recovering in a barn, and revealed they have named in Noah.

A photo shows Noah’s legs wrapped up in a protective green layer over bandages to reduce swelling, as his legs were “knocked and sore”, but not broken or badly damaged.