A sad farewell for Animal Nepal Dukuchhap Donkey Sanctuary
“On 9 April 2021, we lost our beloved donkey Krishna. Krishna was about 14 years old and he was one of our first rescues. Krishna spent some time living with a Swiss lady Pauline from 2011-2015 and came back to stay with us for good. Krishna was best friends with Fudge, another long haired donkey and they were inseparable. Krishna was one of our gentlest and friendliest donkeys and very popular with visitors. Owing to their gentle nature, Krishna and Fudge represented Animal Nepal at a number of animal welfare events, where they were always the star attractions. In doing so, they helped to raise awareness about the plight of working donkeys in Nepal, whose stories often remain invisible. Krishna was so loving and forgiving of humans despite of the hardship he faced working at a brick kiln in his early years. Krishna was particularly fond of our President Pramada and our veterinary team. He loved being groomed and would always nudge at us if he wasn’t receiving enough attention. Krishna’s death leaves a large void in our hearts but we take great comfort in the fact that he had a great life with us, thanks in particular to Animal Aid Abroad and Krishna’s sponsors.
Our vets suspect that Krishna died of colic during the night as he did not have any symptoms of other illnesses. A few months ago Krishna had some minor dental issues, for which he had received treatment. Dr. Atish Yadav our senior equine vet believes that his history of dental problems may have been a contributing factor as he may not have been able to chew his feed properly and this can lead to colic. As it happened during the night and Krishna had already passed when the caretakers found him in the morning, we don't know the precise symptoms he displayed.
Krishna was buried according to Hindu rituals and his memory will continue to live on in our hearts and especially through the work we do in helping others like him.
On April 29, the government of Nepal announced a lockdown in Kathmandu valley and most other parts of Nepal. Taking into consideration the safety of our staff and the community, our sanctuary will be closed to the public and all construction work for the wall has been suspended. Our caretakers remain at the sanctuary and our veterinary team will visit if needed. All our animals are in good health and well looked after and we have stocked up on their food supplies to ensure there are no shortages should the lockdown extend. We would like to express our sincerest gratitude to Animal Aid Abroad for their continued financial support in the running and maintenance of the sanctuary for our rescued equines in Dukuchhap.”
