DONKEY SANCTUARY BONAIRE

Presentation for the Caribbean Animal Welfare Conference, June 15, 2015, San Jose, Costa Rica

byPauline Kayes, professor emeritus, part-time resident of Bonaire and Champaign, Illinois, and a supporter of DSB for 20 years

DONKEY SANCTUARY BONAIRE: HISTORY AND MISSIONEstablished in 1993 by Marina Melis and Ed Koopman, Dutch nationals who had moved to Bonaire to rescue injured, sick, and abused donkeys with the support of volunteers, donations, and no government support or interest until 2013.

Bonaire is located 50 miles north of Venezuela in the Caribbean sea next to Curacao and Aruba, formerly known as the “ABC” islands. It is 112 square miles—24 miles long and 7 miles at the widest point.

Until 10-10-2010, Bonaire was an island of the Netherlands Antilles. Today it is a “special municipality” of the Netherlands with a local “county” (island) government that cooperates with the Dutch national government.

THE DONKEYS OF BONAIRE: ORIGIN AND NUMBERS

**Brought over between 15th and 17th centuries from Spain for labor and transportation in salt and aloe plantations.**In 1992, 500-600 donkeys were estimated to be roaming unmanaged around the island with no support, help, or care.

**THE ARID CLIMATE OF BONAIRE CAUSES STARVATION AND DEHYDRATION.**TETANUS AND OTHER DISEASES RESULT IN ILLNESS AND DEATH.**SOME PEOPLE ABUSE AND INJURE THEM.**INCREASE IN TRAFFIC HAS INCREASED DONKEY/CAR ACCIDENTS.**INBREEDING CAUSES DEFORMITIES THAT COMPROMISE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE.

THE DONKEYS OF BONAIRE: CONDITIONS AND MORTALITY

In times of severe drought, some donkeys can’t get enough water or food to survive. It is estimated by American feral donkey expert, Mark Meyers (PVDR) that Bonaire can only sustain 250 donkeys outside the sanctuary.

Here is another example of a donkey that died from dehydration and was not found until it was too late to rescue.

ONE OF THE WAYS DONKEYS CONTRACT TETANUS IS BY STEPPING ON RUSTY NAILS, CANS, OR OTHER METAL. BY THE TIME THEY ARE FOUND, IT IS TOO LATE TO SAVE THEM FROM A HORRIFIC DEATH.

ALTHOUGH THE POPULATION OF BONAIRE IS 18, 235 PEOPLE, THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES (CARS AND SCOOTERS) HAS INCREASED IMMENSELY IN THE PAST 10 YEARS. THE RESULT IS MORE ACCIDENTS, INJURIES, AND MORTALITIES, LIKE THIS POOR FOAL.

Here is one of the many deformities found as a result of “inbreeding”; this “under-bite” made it difficult to chew and get adequate food to survive.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT SOLUTIONS TO THE “DONKEY PROBLEM” ON BONAIRE:1. Capturing, killing, and throwing

carcasses into the sea.2. Capturing and selling them to Curacao zoo as food for lions and crocodiles.3. Sending them to Haiti for food in exchange for fruit trees.

OTHER COMPLICATIONS THAT COMPROMISED THE WELL-BEING OF BONAIRE’S DONKEYS:

**DSB was forced to move off rental land, procure new land, install new fencing, and rebuild everything because of required airport modifications.**They were given 18 months and no government assistance (money or personnel) to complete this drastic move.

THE “CATCH PROGRAM” 2013**By 2012, there were more and more donkeys and humans being injured by car accidents (65 accidents in 2012; 58 in 2013).**DSB cooperated with the local government on a new policy (the Ezelbeleidsplan) for the well being of the donkeys and road safety for people as well as to protect nature from grazing.**Three veterinarians supervised the project from Curacao, Holland, and Bonaire.

WHAT IS THE “CATCH PROGRAM”1. Females and foals are corralled and

brought into the sanctuary (with cooperation from local people).

2. Males are castrated under full anesthesia by the vet, chipped, equipped with ear reflectors, vaccinated for tetanus, and released into the “mondi.”3. Donkeys determined to have severe injuries or disease by the vet are humanely euthanized.

“”

NORMALLY WE ONLY ARE CALLED WHEN THERE ARE CAR ACCIDENTS. NOW WE ARE SEEING EVERYTHING!

Marina Melis, Managing Director, DSB

Donkeys with broken legs; donkeys with fatal tetanus, skin disease, blindness, infected bite wounds, deformities; donkeys that have been abused, poisoned, or attacked by humans; donkeys sick from eating toxins at the landfill.

A donkey who was living with a broken leg (most likely from a car accident) in the mondi and was found during the “catch program”. He had to be euthanized.

Another donkey found had a wire around his foot that was severely infected with gangrene.

“”

WE ARE NOT LIVING IN A BIG CITY WITH A FULL-SERVICE ANIMAL HOSPITAL SO UNFORTUNATELY WE CAN’T SAVE THEM. AND WHO WOULD PAY THE VET BILLS IF WE COULD?

Marina Melis, Managing Director, DSB

Fact: out of 691 caught, 40 donkeys were so injured, sick, or abused that the vet Dr. Jan Laarakker had to euthanize them.

RESULTS OF THE “CATCH PROGRAM”

**398 donkeys brought into the sanctuary (50% pregnant females).**195 male donkeys castrated and released.**accidents declined from 65 and 58 in 2012 and 2013 to 20 in 2014 and 8 so far in 2015.

DONKEY SANCTUARY BONAIRE**now over 600 “resident” donkeys.**150 acres to roam, featuring sun shelters, water bowls, and feeding stations.**Special Care Unit and Senior Meadow.**7 volunteers and only one paid employee. **non-profit supported by donations and grants; in 2013, first government support for “Catch Program”.

AT DSB, THE DONKEYS HAVE ENOUGH SPACE (60 HECTARES) TO ROAM FREE

Covered shade roofs are interspersed throughout the sanctuary so the donkeys can get out of the hot tropical sun.

Mama and her foal enjoy the protection and special attention in the “nursery”.

A few months ago, the “senior donkeys” (15 who are over 30 years old) moved into their own “senior meadow” so they can eat slowly without competing with the younger donkeys.

Marina Melis has bottle-fed many orphaned foals whose mothers were killed in car accidents. It is an intensive labor of love because they need to be fed every 2 hours.

THE VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF OF DONKEY SANCTUARY BONAIRE CELEBRATE THE COMPLETION OF THEIR LATEST PROJECT

A “DAY IN THE LIFE” OF A DONKEY AT DONKEY SANCTUARY BONAIRE**Fed horse feed in the morning (over 500 kilos a day) and in the afternoon with hay (56 bales a day), fruit, veggies, and bread donated from local groceries.**27 hayracks spaced throughout the park.**10 sun shelters provide shade.**5 solar power-operating water bowls; 28 automatic drinking bowls.**constant monitoring for illness and wounds; immediate veterinary care.

In the late afternoon, donkeys eat hay, vegetables, fruit, etc. in small groups at any of the 27 hayracks spaced throughout the sanctuary grounds.

To drink anytime, a donkey can visit an automatic water bowl and just push the valve with his/her nose and get water.

And sometimes people donate palm fronds from their gardens as a special treat….the donkeys love them!

DONKEY SANCTUARY BONAIRE: RESCUE AND REHABILITATION**24 hour a day emergency response to any report of injury or distress.**the sick and wounded donkeys are observed in a secluded section, nursed back to health, and then given a home in the sanctuary.**orphaned foals are raised with a baby bottle (Pavo horse milk)** only the vet determines which donkeys are too badly injured or ill to recover.

DONKEY SANCTUARY BONAIRE: EDUCATION AND AWARENESS**Information is distributed to tourists, local schools, and the community.**In cooperation with STINAPA, DSB has hosted visits of school children for 10 years so they become aware of problems the donkeys have on Bonaire and understand how to treat them with respect.**Working with other islands ( St. Eustatia) on care plans for their donkeys.

**Constant monitoring of feral donkeys outside the sanctuary—their numbers, amount of food and water, reproduction, etc.**Using the expertise of international experts on feral donkey management (Donkey Sanctuary UK, Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue Texas, etc.)**Hosting students from Holland as part of their requirements for courses and degrees.

DONKEY SANCTUARY BONAIRE:RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS

Web-site: www.donkeysanctuary.org Email: info@donkeysanctuary.org Donations are appreciated greatly and can

be made through our website and facebook page.

Donkey Sanctuary Bonaire has a #4 (out of 5) rating on Trip Advisor!