MARES Zimbabwe report - January and February 2023

Following is a report from AAA partner group in Zimbabwe, MARES:

December, January and February are Zimbabwe’s wettest months and are also the months that the donkeys are worked their hardest, ploughing fields.  Sadly, these are MARES busiest months, with injured and abandoned donkeys prevalent, primarily in the Municipal areas of Bulawayo.  The ploughing of fields goes hand in hand with the planting of crops.  However, as most of the donkeys that are used (hired) for ploughing come from the rural areas more than 50kms away, there is no safe area for these donkeys to rest, or be watered and fed; they are simply abandoned in the area where they were ploughing.  The donkeys are free to wander anywhere in search of food and water and of course, come across the planted crops and eat them.  The horrific result for many of these donkeys is that they get axed for eating the crops!  In January and February the MARES team collected 3 axed donkeys, 3 donkeys with fractured legs, (2 we humanely euthanized), 1 donkey with severe gastrodiscus, sadly dying soon after being diagnosed, 2 donkeys hit by vehicles (1 dead and the other we humanely euthanized), 1 donkey attacked by a hyena but recovering well, 1 donkey found in a sewer who, due to the time spent there passed away, and 3 donkeys abandoned with severe harness wounds, open wounds on their backs from beatings and heavily tick infested. 

Despite having attended more than 3 stakeholders meetings between ourselves, the Bulawayo City Council, the ZRP (Zimbabwe Police), Advocate Chinonda (Advocate in Animal Law), the Government Veterinary Departments and local animal welfare, we have been unable to enforce the Goverrnment and Council Law forbidding any donkeys from entering the Bulawayo Municipal areas.  That is not to say that we are giving up, it is just very frustrating.

We also received our much awaited portable digital xray machine which is vital in our line of work.

Now that the rains are almost over we have already started cutting and baling for the long winter months, so there is no rest.

This month of March we will once again commence with our harness education and outreach clinics and break ground for the new winter fodder feeding paddock and rehabilitation sanctuary in Mabale.  The drive will be long and slow due to the many hundreds of potholes in the main Victoria Falls road but hope by the end of March they will have been repaired.

Thank you to all the AAA supporters and donors who assist us to carry out our life saving donkey welfare program in Zimbabwe. You really are changing the lives of these donkeys.