A VERY rare and distinctive donkey, described by its owners as a cross between a woolly mammoth and the Star Wars character Chewbacca, has arrived at a Monmouthshire farm.

Ivy, a Poitou breed of donkey, together with her mother Holly, has just arrived at the Cute Farm Experience – a working farm and petting zoo in Devauden.

Poitous are not your everyday donkeys. The Cute Farm Experience’s owner, George Morgan, said there are only 60 Poitous in the UK, and 700 in the world.

And the breed is certainly distinctive - measuring up to eight foot tall and sporting a shaggy, wool-like coat which adds to its impressive size.

“When we went to view it, we couldn’t believe either the size of it or the shaggy look – it was like a giant bear,” Mr Morgan, who said the breed had been described as "a cross between Chewbacca the Wookie and a woolly mammoth", said.

“When we saw how friendly it was we simply had to have it at the farm.”

While Ivy displays many of the characteristics of the Poitou breed, her mother Holly does not.

The pair are currently settling into their new home before they have meet and greet sessions with Cute Farm Experience visitors.

“I know our visitors are simply going to fall in love with Holly and Ivy after the initial shock of the size of them,” Mr Morgan said.

“I can’t wait to show them off and see people’s faces.”

The Morgan family plans to look for a male, called a jack, and try to breed from Holly. But with numbers so small in the UK, this could mean a trip across to France, from where the Poitou breed originates.

“Ivy and her mum Holly are both breeding age, and we would love to develop a small herd,” Mr Morgan said.

However, the current political situation could get in the way of their plans.

“We are worried this could even be affected by a no-deal Brexit, and any border controls being brought in for animals as a result,” Mr Morgan added.

The Cute Farm Experience opened its doors earlier this year, and is home to several other unusual types of animal, from alpacas to very fluffy Valais Blacknose sheep – dubbed the world’s cutest breed of the animal, as well as miniature donkeys from the Mediterranean region.