Bridging Lanka - Mannar Donkey Welfare & Management Report - June 2021
Wedged between a sewer and a hard place – Admission No. 243
Two donkeys were chasing each other up and down the main road close to Mannar Hospital, a common sight with male donkeys asserting their dominance! A few laps later, one of them fell into an open sewer. Sudarshan, owner of the YMC tyre shop, witnessed the donkey falling in and contacted the DCEC clinic. Island-wide curfew imposed as a CV19 measure meant the road was empty, not the sewer! The stench was revolting but our staff masked up stepped into the sewer and with great difficulty lifted the donkey out of the infested water. With the help of Sudarshan, the donkey was loaded into the van and is being treated for neck and leg injuries at the Clinic.
Gut instinct does have its rewards – Admission No. 244
Donkeys appear to have their favourite stamping ground of garbage dumps! This time it was around the Emil Nagar area in Mannar. These garbage dumps have their own stories of discarded tin can disasters and here’s another one to add to the growing list. In this case donkey instinct guided the donkey to Allen’s house after having stepped into a tin can while rummaging for food scraps. Allen tends to feed some of the donkeys on and off. He tried to catch the donkey to remove the tin can but failed. Expert help was needed so Allen called the DCEC. He wisely fed the donkey till the DCEC crew arrived. The donkey was caught and the tin can removed. A quick check confirmed no deeper cuts or injuries so the donkey was released to continue its meanderings.
A homing pidgeon – Admission No. 245
Many of our wild donkeys who are injured and treated at the DCEC are returned to their surroundings as our premises are not large enough to house growing numbers. This story is about a former donkey that had been released a few months earlier. Johnson a local of Olaithoduwai (the neighbouring village to the DCEC) witnessed a donkey with a horrific neck injury. Johnson, a buddy of Kathafi (our Animal Welfare Officer) contacts the DCEC and keeps the donkey close to his home. On arrival, the DCEC staff find Johnson’s son chasing the crows who were lining up to peck at the defenceless donkey. The donkey recognises the DCEC staff, went close to them and nuzzled them with his snout, relieved that he was in good hands! The wound is being treated by our vet and the donkey is healing well.
No place like the old place – Admission No. 249
One of the urban donkeys that used to search for food close to the previous Bridging Lanka office was hit by a vehicle. As we had moved to a new office, this donkey had apparently still been going to the old office, perhaps for water and feeling this was a safe place to be. It was coincidental that Rojan, the Bridging Lanka manager happened to pass by at this time and noticed the donkey having sustained an injury. He informed the DCEC. While waiting, two of our staff members went over and managed to keep the donkey within the premises of the old office while help arrived. The donkey is now receiving treatment and recovering gradually.
Salvatore delivers!
Salvatore stands out from the rest of the pack as she’s the only white donkey. Visitors are puzzled when they see her as her white coat is uncommon in Sri Lanka. On 9 June this year, Salvatore gave birth to a beautiful male foal fathered by Renaldo. Both donkey parents are best buddies at the Centre but once the foal was born Salvatore doesn’t have as much time for Renaldo and tends to spend a majority of her time with her foal. Her affection borders on being over protective, possibly because her first foal died. The DCEC staff ensure Salvatore gets the right nutrition and is fed enough CO3 grass to supplement a balanced diet. Her cuddly foal is frisky and darts here and there around the centre. Both Salvatore and Renaldo are sponsored by Vilma Pallet and Lindsey Arkley from Melbourne, Australia, who must be so proud!
The foal is up for anyone wishing to sponsor him. Naming rights are all yours if you decide to join our group of donkey sponsors.
DCEC is three years old!
Time has indeed flown and it is now three years since we officially opened the DCEC. Much has happened and on reflection we are so grateful for the generosity of so many of our supporters, especially Animal Aid Abroad who sustains our operations. I’m sure the donkeys would agree! In the last year and a half the flow of tourists was restricted due to Covid. Our staff have worked unrelentingly hard to keep the Centre afloat by planting CO3 grass and other crops to ensure nutritious food for the donkeys, difficult to obtain with lockdowns and travel bans.
This year, we were able to celebrate our third anniversary with the Bridging Lanka staff and reminisced on the journey that started with an idea, now a reality – a heart-warming night! Our succession planning with all our projects is to groom young leaders to be entrepreneurs of small livelihood enterprises and very soon the reigns of this venture will be transitioned to Alhathir, the current manager of the DCEC. Bridging Lanka is now a partner in this ever-developing venture.
