Donkey comes home

from http://www.downtoearth.org.in

The country’s only sanctuary offers professional care for the beasts of burden

I was surprised to find my donkey so completely cured, said Makkaji Ibitdar, a small farmer in the hilly district of Nanded in Maharashtra. When Dharma Donkey Sanctuary in Sagroli village handed him his animal after discharge Ibitdar could not stop smiling at it. Only three months earlier, he was planning to abandon the donkey after it became weak, developed bad eyesight and sores on the back. Ibitdar was relieved to find his donkey strong again. It was mid-October and Ibitdar needed it the most for hauling farm equipment across tough terrain to prepare his field for rabi crops.

In July when Sanskruti Sanwardhan Mandal, an educational institution in Sagroli established by social worker Babasaheb Deshmukh organized a medical camp for donkeys in his village, Ibitdar took his ailing donkey there.

It was diagnosed as having worms and vitamin A deficiency due to lack of green grass. The deep bleeding wounds on its back and feet were caused by overloading. The doctors at the camp gave her a tetanus shot and asked Ibitdar to take her to the sanctuary for treatment.

Dharma Donkey Sanctuary, unlike other sanctuaries to protect endangered species, offers shelter and medical care to old, pregnant and sick donkeys.

The only sanctuary of its kind in India, it was set up in 2000 by Babasaheb Deshmukh at the behest of Bonny and Ratilal Shah, an nri couple from usa. The Shahs, who had been associated with the Mandal since 1990, perhaps drew inspiration from Egypt, Kenya and Mexico where donkey sanctuaries are common, said Abhijit Mahajan, manager of the Mandal. They had helped the Mandal purchase six hectares to set up the sanctuary.

It now attends to the beasts of burden from 50 villages where donkeys are the primary carrier of farm goods, fertilizers and construction material. Donkeys can endure overloading and require little water and food. Since the government’s veterinary services are limited to farm animals, donkey owners have nowhere to go to treat the wounded and ailing animals.

Non-profits like Brooke Hospital in UK and Blue Cross of Hyderabad help the sanctuary conduct vaccination and de-worming programmes twice a year and organize free medical camps from time to time.

“About 8,000 donkeys come to our camps every year,” said Mahajan. Those who are severely ill, like the one owned by Ibitdar, are brought to the sanctuary. Here there is plenty of grass to feed on, three tube wells offering ample water and two caretakers are available round the clock, he added. Once the animals are cured, they are handed back to their owners. For the old and abandoned ones, the sanctuary is a permanent shelter. “As of now, we have 10 abandoned donkeys,” said Suresh Mogdekar, a caretaker. “Two have been living here for three years; we have named them Raja and Akash,” he said breaking into a smile. About 20 donkeys come for treatment in a year and stay in our care for some months. It took three months to cure Ibtidar’s donkey. Its wounds needed regular dressing and was given deworming medicine (albendazol), Mogdekar added. Since the sanctuary does not have a fulltime doctor, in case of an emergency a government veterinary doctor from Nanded town treats the donkeys.

While medicines and vaccines are often donated, funds are hard to come by as few understand the need for a donkey sanctuary. To meet the expenses, the management has created a mango orchard in the sanctuary; this earns them Rs 10,000 a year. Trustees bear the salaries of caretakers.

It may take a few years before the sanctuary receives required aid and attention, but it has changed the attitude of people in Nanded towards donkeys, said Ibitdar as he took his donkey back home. He now plans to give it a name.