20 inch mule Pedro amazes animal experts

May 19 2009 by Sam Wood, The Journal

HE MIGHT be not much bigger than a dog, but this little creature has amazed animal experts.

Tiny Pedro is thought to be the smallest mule in the country – and possibly the world.

He is around 20 inches high and will only grow another few inches, making him only slightly larger than a big dog.

Male mules, the offspring of a male donkey and female horse, are always infertile and are usually somewhere between a horse and a donkey in size.

His Mother, Mrs Pickles, only about 30 inches tall herself, was grazing happily yesterday at their home Springwell Farm, Consett, after giving birth to Pedro 14 days ago.

She will nurture Pedro until he is about six months old.

Owner Maisey Watson, 49, breeds horses, donkeys and mules. She said: “He will probably grow no bigger than a Labrador, he is the smallest mule in the country as far as we are aware, maybe the world, I don’t really know.

“I don’t know of any others his size, he barely comes up to my knee-cap at the moment and he shouldn’t grow too much taller. We knew he was going to be small when Mrs Pickles mated with Angus the donkey, they are both small animals.