MARES Zimbabwe June Update

AAA donors help working animals all over the world including Zimbabwe where our partner group MARES is based. Following is the MARES report for June 2023:

The month of June was busy with 3 injured donkeys that were severely attacked by Hyenas in Dete, Hwange, as this village borders the Hwange National Game Park.  Once the donkeys had been operated on, pain meds and antibiotics given, Peta Anne Davies, where we have erected a small sanctuary, took the 3 donkeys in for rehabilitation.  The donkey with the inguinal injuries is old and will not be able to be in work again and the owner has surrendered this donkey to Mares.  The other 2 donkeys, once fully recovered, will be returned to their owner.

Whilst in Dete our team of veterinarians vaccinated 152 donkeys for rabies and tetanus as well as deworming all 152 donkeys. 

MARES was asked to assist a small village outside of Bulawayo called Mbokodo.  We dewormed, vaccinated against rabies and tetanus 83 of their donkeys whilst our farrier attended to 17 of the donkeys requiring urgent farrier work. 

We also attended to a donkey with a prolapsed anus, 3 donkeys with eye injuries and 11 with harness wounds.  We handed out our leaflets on donkey welfare, the correct way on hitching their donkeys as well as handing our 10 sets of harnesses and 10 sets of swingle trees.

We continue to have resistance to the hitching of only 2 donkeys, with most of the people hitching mainly 3 or 4 donkeys. 

MARES was visited by 3 nursery schools, giving the children the opportunity to be in contact with the donkeys and learn about donkey welfare.

June saw the coldest winter recorded in Bulawayo.  To protect the donkeys we had awnings installed to keep out the chilly winds and we were kindly donated 16 rugs and leggings for the older, more frail donkeys.  We also received another load of bales. 

All 87 of our resident donkeys were dewormed as well.  Sadly, our one blind, elderly donkey that had been at MARES for 5 years, passed away from pneumonia.

On the legal side, despite being subpoenaed once again to hear our 3 different court cases against donkey cruelty, the cases have once again been remanded and we await the new trial dates.   It is frustrating but important that we get the cases heard.