Bridging Lanka's Donkey Welfare and Management Report from Mannar - April update
Bridging Lanka have sent us an update on the recent activity at the Mannar Donkey Clinic and Education Centre (DCEC):
Admission Number: 227
To donkeys, grazing is as instinctive as breathing! Around Zayed City, donkeys are seen to be grazing in herds. This area is more lush as it’s close to wetlands that attract flocks of Siberian ducks and other migratory birds. Alhathir, the DCEC manager, spots a tired looking donkey limping badly. Alhathir manages to check the wound on the donkey’s leg and saw it was maggot infested. Catching the donkey proved a challenge as one of the rescue staff was on leave so another local obliged. Our Vet examined the donkey’s gaping wound and the verdict wasn’t good. Maggots had eaten their way into other parts of its body as well. Its poor physical state was irreversible. Sadly the donkey was euthanized.
Admission Number: 230
The roadkill of donkeys continues. This time a donkey grazing near the hospital was hit by a vehicle in the early hours of the morning. The injury was so severe that blood covered most of the donkey’s face. Nishanthan, a local, spotted this poor animal and called us immediately. Soon after, about 25 phone calls were received reporting the same incident. This time is the usual morning rush hour for schools. Many students were terrified seeing the donkey bleeding so badly. As this was an emergency the donkey rescue team arrived by 7.30 am. The team had trouble finding the donkey but when they located the animal, half of its face was so badly disfigured. The donkey was loaded into the truck but died within minutes of reaching the Clinic.
Admission Number: 232
It’s puzzling when we spot donkeys with a rope tied around its ankles - probably for some unscrupulous reason! One donkey was spotted in Puthukkudiyiruppu. Alhathir, the DCEC manager, sees this donkey and informs the staff who quickly arrive. However the donkey capture proves elusive. The staff return to the office but decide to try again. This time they locate the same donkey grazing in the same area. Finally the staff manage to grab the donkey, untie the rope and check its leg for any injuries. Fortunately the donkey hadn’t sustained any deep cuts or wounds. The affronted donkey tried biting Kathafi’s hand but Kathafi managed to escape before any nips occurred!
Admission Number: 233
Two tourists from the Netherlands happened to witness one of three donkeys being hit by a vehicle while crossing Emil Nagar Road. Miraculously they found our telephone number and called us. On arrival, the staff weren’t able to comprehend what the tourists were trying to say. English language limitations of our staff led to the tourists contacting Alhathir who is proficient in English. The tourists then stated that they were planning to visit the DCEC that Sunday and kept to their word. When they arrived, they were so pleased to see that the donkey had been treated and the iron band around its leg removed. The tourists had a lot of questions about our work. They appeared keen to sponsor the rescued donkey and we hope this sponsorship transpires soon.
Admission Number: 234
In Sinnakarisal, a rather malnourished foal was found rummaging through rubbish in search of a few desperate morsels. These garbage dumps are toxic sites to donkeys as it contains mounds of plastic bags with food scraps that the donkeys consume. The poor foal was one such victim. It had a swollen rectum due to eating indigestible garbage items. One of its hind legs had a tin can and a one inch plastic bar, with the corresponding leg trapped in a plastic bottle. The foal was brought back to the Centre for treatment. The tin can, plastic bar and bottle were removed from its scrawny legs and the swollen rectum treated. The poor foal is under treatment at the Clinic and we are hoping for a full recovery.
Admission Number: 235
Steepan, a local had noticed a donkey that had been lying down near the Honda vehicle repair shop for two days in a row. In a humane attempt to help the donkey, Steepan kept some food and water near the donkey but it wasn’t able to stand up. On the third day Steepan told a friend about the donkey and they searched the internet for details of our Clinic. He made a personal visit to our Centre to report the sick donkey. Our staff loaded the donkey into the truck. It put up feeble resistance. The good news is that the donkey’s leg is being treated daily and is healing well.
Visitors to our Centre leave with the lingering feeling of wanting to return - no exception for a family who visited this month with their two daughters. The eldest, Sahana, loved her animals and no sooner she saw the donkeys that her face lit up with joy. A routine for all our guests is a tour of the Centre and grounds but Sahana only wanted to stay with the donkeys. She held them, spoke to them and fed them their favourite treat, chickpeas.
Sahana had so many questions. Her thirst for knowledge about donkeys hasn’t been seen in anyone her age before. When it was time to leave – three hours later – Sahana pleaded with her father to promise to return the next day. True to his word, at 3pm the following day, Sahana and family were back. It was raining steadily but this didn’t deter her from playing with the donkeys for a good hour, taking photos and selfies! She just couldn’t get enough, even asking us if she could volunteer at the Centre during school holidays.
