Newbury pig afraid of MUD - and is regularly trapped in his flooded field

Barry the porker was brought up in the back yard of an urban home and developed a fear of mud and water.

He likes being clean and because he has short legs doesn't even like going into a few inches of mud.

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Because he doesn't mix well with other animals he can't be moved to a different field - but his keeps getting flooded.

During rainfalls the four year old oinkers gets trapped in the flooded field because he is terrified of water and mud and cannot swim to safety.

Barry lives at Trindledown Farm in Newbury - a ten acre rescue and welfare centre run by the National Animal Welfare Trust.

It has now launched a JustGiving campaign called ''Barry Can't Swim'' to raise £5,000 for vital ditch-digging.

A drainage company has been three times in the past week at a cost of £600 each time - a cost the charity cannot afford and they are now appealing to the public for help.

Barry and his best friend Bjork, a two year old brain damaged sheep, are now stranded in their field and staff are fundraising to rescue the pair.

Trindledown Farm's manager Tracy Waldron said: "We found out last year that Barry was afraid of water and mud.

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"It was a really hot summer and we'd created water holes for the other pigs to wallow in but Barry wouldn't go near them at all.

"We eventually got a hose out to try and cool him down but he completely freaked out and made a lot of noise - he squealed the place down and he reacts the exact same to mud.

"Barry is a very clean pig - he was raised in someone's back garden before he came to us so he isn't used to living like a pig, he's more like a human.

"He's normally quite an amiable pig, nothing fazes him usually but mud and water just scare him so much and he really kicks up a fuss.

"Barry is very small compared to the other pigs and it would be dangerous for him to live with them so he shares a field with a two year old sheep called Bjork.

"Bjork has neurological issues and you can see her head is tilted to one side so she got bullied by the other sheep because she was different.

"We put Bjork and Barry together and now they're like an old married couple, they're very sweet together and they are a big attraction for visitors to the farm.

"Barry has very short legs and won't go near even a few inches of water so now that their field has flooded, they've got trapped and we need help to save them.

"Our driveway has started flooding now so it looks like it won't be long until we have to close the farm to visitors which is a real shame."

Overflow of water from higher farmland has now flooded half of Trindledown Farm's grazing fields, drowned both secure dog runs and halved the pig enclosure.

The water is now starting to flood the driveway into the centre, leaving them with little option but to close the farm to visitors.

Other field animals have been moved to a higher field but Barry won't budge and is now left with just the size of a third of a tennis court to move about in.

The hydrophobic Kunekune cross-breed has been left trapped in the field with brain damaged Bjork and the farm is fundraising to rescue the two animals.

The farm has flooded previously in 2013 and 2014 where the centre was forced to close and they are now appealing for supporters of the farm to help pay for 200 metres of ditches.

You can donate to help the farm rescue Barry and Bjork on their JustGiving page.