Pony, donkey and cow headed to local pub after escaping from their paddock

A pony, donkey and a cow headed to a pub in Australia's Northern Territory after escaping from their paddock on Monday night. The unusual trio trotted about a kilometre from their home to the Humpty Doo Hotel, about 40km north of Darwin. Mary Walshe, who lives next door to the hotel said she woke at 2:30am after her dog began barking. "Our little Jack Russell security alarm was a bit persistent, and of course I listen to my animals and I jumped up," Ms Walshe said.



"I had a look out the window and a bit of a white flash went across the back of the pub, then another little white flash, which got my attention. There was a tiny pony, and a tiny donkey and a cow." Ms Walshe began to get worried about the animals' safety. The pub is located on the Arnhem Highway, a road frequented by large trucks during the night.



"I went in and woke up my long-suffering dear husband ... which didn't go down really well, I might add," she said. Ms Walshe said she was also worried someone who was hungry enough could have tried to capture the heifer. "She was exceptionally good, the cow. She could have been eaten by anyone quite easily, which is what I was worried about," she said. That was when Ms Walshe called the police. "I had to convince them that I wasn't on any sort of substances that might be causing this story."



Officers took the situation seriously and helped Ms Walsh lead the animals into her backyard using a bag of bread. The blame for the escapade was later laid solely on the pony. "The little stallion [was] definitely the leader of the pack and had the other two following," added Ms Walshe. Following a public appeal for information, the owners of the animals came and collected them on Tuesday morning before returning them to their paddock.

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