An update from Zambezi Working Donkey Project

AAA partner group Zambezi Working Donkey Project have sent us an update on their recent work in their local area:

“Following a remarkably busy December, the months of January and February were a little quieter in terms of holding larger outreaches, as many villages became inaccessible due to the heavy rains. Nonetheless on 5th February we held a clinic in the village of Musokotwane which is about an hour’s drive from Livingstone. This was our first visit to the area and as such the first time we had met with owners and donkeys there. Until now their level of knowledge about caring for and working with donkeys was extremely limited. The community however were very enthusiastic to learn and it was a good turnout with 28 donkeys treated, dipped and dewormed, and new humane harnesses provided for 9 carts. We also held a meeting with the Headman and Government District Vet who both expressed sincere desire to have us return soon, once the rains have gone, so that they can bring together many more working donkey owners.

At the Musokotwane clinic we were joined by staff from Simalaha Horse Safaris, who operate out of the Simalaha Community Reserve in Western Province. With a very large number of working donkeys in that area they are planning to start a CSR program and came to us for training and advice. We were really happy to help as it means widening the reach of this crucial work, in an area we would otherwise be beyond our geographic reach. We will be joining the Simalaha team when they hold their first outreach clinic, to share what we have learnt and help them get started. In a similar fashion we heard from Melindika, another NGO working with farmers in Itezhi Techi who we also trained previously. They told as that they have not started rolling out humane harnesses in their area which is another great success!

Our team here in Livingstone continued to reach donkeys by motorbike to check-up on previous cases and attend to call-outs - administering basic veterinary support. We also undertook several mobile clinics in the Livingstone markets. With so much rain there has been an abundance of crops, so donkeys are working harder than ever, pulling loads of vegetables along wet, muddy roads and in many cases fording seasonal streams to reach town!

At our rescue centre at Maramba Farm I am sorry to report that we have had a very difficult couple of months. Some sudden and mysterious deaths of rescue donkeys meant we had to bring in a specialist equine vet who travelled from Mazabuka (around 5 hours drive away) to attend to post-mortems and undertake a thorough investigation. We are still trying to confirm exactly what caused the animals to become sick so suddenly, but it is thought that a tick-born disease may have been brought in by the most recent rescue cases. This has been an incredibly sad and frustrating time, but we are grateful more than ever for the support of AAA which enabled us to pay expensive veterinary bills to get to the bottom of things. In the meantime, we have unfortunately had to stop taking in any more rescues until we know what we are dealing with for sure. We hope to resume our vital rescue and rehabilitation work as soon as our current herd get the all-clear from the professionals.

Looking forward the end of the rainy season is in sight and we are looking forward to getting back out into the field soon!”