Animal Nepal Dukuchhap donkey sanctuary monthly report October 2022

October marked the beginning of the festive season in Nepal, with two of the largest festivals Dashain and Tihar falling during this time. AAA partner group Animal Nepal started October by celebrating World Animal Day at their sanctuary by giving special treats to the animals which they always enjoy.

Since the last few weeks, the team have also started letting our animals out from their paddocks so that they have even more space to graze and run around in. They do this separately for the donkeys, mules, horses, bulls and goats. They really enjoy this extra exercise they get!

Health wise, the animals are doing well but Star (one of the horses) and Kumu (the bull) have been experiencing some issues with their legs. The team vet suspected that Star might have had arthritis but her tests have come back negative. She is generally healthy and active but every now and then she appears to experience a lot of pain in her joints and she isn’t able to move. At such times, the team separate her from the herd and let her rest indoors in the stable. Kumu has also been experiencing some swelling on his front right leg, which was fractured when he was young. They are going to get him a heat pad for the winter months and have also put him on a diet so that his weight is not too much to bear for his leg.

One of the older horses Novy has had to be separated from the herd because he seems to have been rejected by the herd now, even though they have been together for years. Perhaps it’s because he is now older and not as strong or active. The team keep him separate and he now enjoys spending time with Jackie and Paulie who also stay separately from the rest of the herd.

A few days ago, The Animal Nepal team celebrated Gobardhan Pooja, where the ox is worshipped and thanked for providing manual labor which is particularly important for an agricultural country like Nepal. In the modern day context, there is a lot more sentiment attached to this day because while cows and bulls are considered to be the holiest animals in Hinduism, they are also one of the most exploited animals in Nepal, so celebrating and worshipping them on this day will hopefully serve as a reminder to stop their suffering. The sanctuary’s bulls Kumu and Sanu particularly enjoyed being fussed over on this day and they also got their favorite treats, brown multigrain breads and lakhamari (a type of Nepali sweet).

Animal Nepal would like to express their sincerest gratitude to Animal Aid Abroad for their continued financial support in the running and maintenance of the sanctuary for rescued equines in Dukuchhap.