North Carolina farm renting out animals to crash Zoom meetings

April 20 (UPI) -- A North Carolina farm is offering to spice up Zoom meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic by renting out animals including a miniature donkey to participate in the teleconferences.

Francie and Mark Dunlap, owners of the Peace N Peas Farm in Indian Trail, said customers are being given the option to have Mambo, an 8-year-old mini donkey, dial into their Zoom conference calls for the price of $50.

The Dunlaps said customers can also choose from a variety of other animal interlopers for their meetings, including horses, chickens and ducks.

"I think it would get some laughs," Francie Dunlap told the Charlotte Observer. "The animal would make an appearance for the first five or 10 minutes ... so they could actually get along with their meeting."

Dunlap set up a website specifically for Zoom meeting bookings, and she said not all inquiries have come from office pranksters -- some customers want to meet the animals virtually for educational purposes, and others just want to enjoy a virtual farm experience.