A church in Redditch, Worcestershire, UK, has yet to fill one vial role in their annual Christmas pageant: the donkey.

They put out a call via the Redditch Advertiser for a "placid and calm" donkey for the Christmas Eve service.

Along with a real donkey, the pageant will include a real baby and a cast of children.

"Donkeys and of course, babies, can be unpredictable but that only adds to the experience," Rev Jo Musson told the paper.

"We need a donkey who is very happy to walk into a church full of children and adults, who will be placid and calm when our band plays lively music and who can provide a comfortable and safe ride for Mary down the aisle of the church," Musson said. "In return we will provide some fresh hay and have a bucket and shovel on hand."

In other celebrity donkey news, a long-eared equid has a supporting role in the photo gallery "10 Creepy Santas" on the blog MentalFloss.com. Check it out.