Save Bonaire's Donkeys

[t4e]

I just learned that Bonaire's donkeys, a unique species, are on their way to forced extinction. Here is a documentary explaining the situation: "Buriku, A National Treasure" youtu.be/1UdUumpLFpM.

Background:

The Donkey Sanctuary Bonaire has signed a contract with the government. The purpose of the contract is for an eventual elimination to the donkeys from the wild and ultimately from all of Bonaire​

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After months of research, we found and formed an excellent research team of Wild Life Ecologists, Environmental Scientists, Biologists, Environmental Researchers and Equid professionals who have worked with wild horses and wild burros (donkeys) for decades. On March 11, 2014, with the help of this research and the team, we supplied information to the Island Council, which caused them to unanimously vote on a Motion to put a temporary stop to the killing and castrating of the donkeys. From Nov 1 2013, until the Island Council motion was passed, The Donkey Sanctuary Bonaire captured over 400 donkeys, 97 old and injured were killed and over 100 were castrated, (as in the past 23 years are only keeping females). Total to date aproximetily 500 and if the contact is completed there will be more then 700. with no natural forage and little shade in the small area they are kept in.​

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We discovered the donkeys of Bonaire are a unique species. DNA testing has shown that Nubian Wild Ass is present in Bonaire. These donkeys are listed on the IUCN Red List as Critically Endangered species and even mentioned as extinct in the wild since the 1950's. Therefore they need to be protected in the wild where they are found. This has no meaning to the Donkey Sanctuary Bonaire, who wants the government to allow them to continue with the catching, killing and castrating. I could go on explaining the atrocities that are taking place but time does not allow. Any one that wants more information can send an email and watch the youtube video below.​

OK here is the point... it is now time to bring 3 of our professionals from our Research Team from the US to the island in July to collect pertinent informaiton, do an impact study, etc., This will help provide necessary information to the government that our humane plan (to retain the culture of Bonaire and keep the donkeys in the wild and healthy, well into the future) is viable.​

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Citizens for a Better, Safer and Animal Friendly Bonaire
http://www.savethebonairedonkeys.com/​

absolutely not true, the purpose of the sanctuary is to help injured donkeys and place them back into the wild when fit

Aren't the donkeys an invasive species? like say lionfish.

huh????????

djtimmy77,

My point is that they are not endemic to Bonaire either, regardless of how they got there. Just because humans brought the donkeys there, doesn't mean that humans have the right to exterminate them especially since, according to the scientists involved, these donkeys may be the last remnants of an endangered species. Still, according to your nativist argument, people could also kill endangered specimens in zoos all over the world.

is anything endemic on an island?

Yes, invasive - quite so. Do you really not know what that means? Nature, which you said you support, did not put them there. The Spanish introduced them. Their numbers have greatly increased, causing problems in Nature. So who is being ridiculous...??

As inbred as the population is, if you think their genetics are so important, take them all to Vermont, or better back to their origins in Nubia.

enlighten me, how does nature put anything on an island?

 

[DandyDon]

enlighten me, how does nature put anything on an island?

Haha, good grief - are you serious? How do you think the animals and plants that naturally populated there before the first Caquetio Indians arrived? Some floated, some swam, some flew - or evolved from previous inhabitants that did so when the ocean was much lower during the last ice age and the channel was smaller. How do you think the Galápagos were populated before Darwin arrived? Some tortoises are actually great swimmers, as were the mammoths that once populated Santa Catalina island, CA.

 

[drrich2]

Wow. So many things to point out. 1st off, being on the island 400 years doesn't make an invasive species native. Now, as for Downer's lengthy report, some issues:

I visited this island for the first time between July 12^th and 27^th, 2014, to see what I could do as a wildlife ecologist to give the wild donkeys here a reprieve and hopefully a reinstatement upon this their home island, where they have been blamed by a certain overweening minority for nearly every perceived problem. I discovered that the donkeys are really not to blame, but are being used as scapegoats for the ecological and safety problems that our kind is causing.

So he had an agenda. Not an objective report here.

We told him these donkeys are “critically endangered” as judged by IUCN Species Survival Commission as well as being positively contributing presences on Bonaire (see my earlier report and summary); and we insisted that the current program is placing this very rare and unique population in imminent danger of disappearing.

Positively contributing? They're numerous, large herbivores who churn out a lot of droppings. Stands to reason that, being invasive, they may have a substantial impact on the native ecology. And it's apt to be bad. They're in danger of disappearing because they're an invasive species, cause problems and humanely eliminating them, not perpetuating them, is desirable to many.

My Public Talk Defending the Place of the Bonairean Donkey

There's no such thing as a true 'Bonairean Donkey' since donkey's aren't native to Bonaire. Whether they're called Nubian or Bonairean may be used to persuasive advantage, I suspect.

A group of castrated donkeys were observed near his office in the late afternoon. When I got out of the car to photograph them, they became utterly terrified, perhaps because I reminded them of their painful and traumatizing operation. Perhaps my tallness and “gringo” appearance reminded them of the veterinarian and of the operation. At least this is what I surmised. One large donkey seemed very upset and whirled and crashed into the bushes in a terrified manner.

Gringo? Is this Bonaire or Mexico. I wonder if he was tempted to diagnose PTSD while he was at it. Of course if you capture a fairly intelligent wild animal by force it's going to be wary, at least for awhile.

Many of the older males that her well-funded program castrates are merely set out to wander on the island. I believe that their depressed state and pain as well as loss of their family and social ties is making them more prone to accidents, especially collisions with typical speeding traffic of Bonaire. This occurs especially when they come to the human-inhabited areas of the island such as to find water or food. Too many of the wells in the hinterlands, or “mundi”, of the island have either been shut off or fallen into disrepair, as I observed during my tours of the island. One solution is to reactivate these wells so as to provide a permanent water source for these donkeys and to relocate the donkeys to these more remote areas, where they should be at first kept in an enclosure that is as large as possible, until they become accustomed to their new natural home.

Depressed state and pain? Maybe being old and I would suspect in some cases chronically dehydrated on an arid island might be factors? This section doesn't make consistent sense. On an island as small as Bonaire, relocating them won't work because they can keep going to human inhabited areas. I take it this wells/mundi were man made? If so, that the donkey's aren't well enough adapted to Bonaire, and require ongoing human intervention to prosper. More evidence they are not natural to the island, and do not belong in that ecosystem.

Marina Melis’ introduction to the sanctuary was very emotional as she claimed her project was rescuing the donkeys from a tragic fate in the wild where they did nothing but overpopulate and destroy the natural world. She seemed totally oblivious of any of their positive attributes, contributions and self-limiting capabilities and gave them absolutely no credit as a valuable wildlife species in their own right. After she recognized who I was, she became very aggressive, asking me my name and why I came to the sanctuary. After I tried to say that I was just there to view the donkeys peacefully, she ordered me off her property immediately, to which I quickly complied, as she had become very red in the face and was very threatening in her gestures and tone of voice.

Yes, a known trouble maker showing up on your door step likely looking for new material to push his cause may not be received well.

Because I did not want to create a scene in front of all the tourists, including mothers and children at the entrance building and gift shop, I merely left this scene.

Mothers and children, huh? Trying pull at the old heart strings a bit there?

Nonetheless, I was able to observe many donkeys throughout the island during my two+ week stay here. I saw many of the males with ear tags that the Bonaire Donkey Sanctuary veterinarian(s) had castrated. The latter seemed very depressed and some were even morose. They were mostly lethargic in their movements and demeanor. A few, however, seemed utterly terrified and flew into a panic at my approach, perhaps recalling their capture and castration by a man of my similar height and appearance. I really felt for these fellow mammals and long-time companions of man.

Companions of man? Hokey alert! Their ancestors were beasts of burden, exploited, slaves to humans, etc... You can't legitimately paint them as wild animals in their natural home in one section, and domestic pets in another.

One female, or jenny, had just been struck by an automobile and lay at the side of a road just to the south of the town of Rincon (see my pictures of this orangish brown donkey). The glisten was still in her eyes and she was most likely a victim of thoughtless speeders in their vehicles, as I observed much speeding in excess of the posted speed limits throughout the island.

Thoughtless? Sounds like a load of crap to me. Anybody here ever slammed into a deer? I've been in a car when it happened, and those donkeys look bigger to me. Even people who don't care much about animals don't want to slam into a grown donkey, especially at higher speed.

It is absolutely urgent that steps be taken to reduce the velocity of automobiles driven both by citizens of and visitors to Bonaire! In my other report I have given some recommendations of how to deal with this speeding crisis that is also resulting in many human deaths and the two pro-wild-donkey NGOs have some brilliant solutions here.
Here are some more of my pertinent notes: “I observe how fast people drive, often exceeding by two or three times the posted speed limits both in and out of town, and this includes both Bonairean citizens and visiting tourists in their rental vehicles. There is a serious lack of speed controls such as speed bumps as well as a lack of strict enforcement of the speed limits. There is an urgent need for a public education program here including for the visitors with serious penalties.”

In other words, the donkeys are getting in the roads, creating a hazard for themselves and motorists, and he thinks it'd be neat if they made everybody drive slow so they're less likely to slam into one.

You start handing out a bunch of speeding tickets, some people are going to think it's about time to get rid of some donkeys.

As gathered from the meetings I attended, this traffic crisis is being used most strongly to justify the elimination of Bonaire’s wild donkeys. This is so unfair! This is a people problem and it is so unjust to lay it all on the wise and innocent donkeys! Let’s learn to share the world we live in with such wise and ancient, positively contributing presences and quit being such slobs!

Okay, the hokey level just went through the roof. Wise and innocent? Donkey's are fairly bright as herbivorous mammals go, but calling them wise is a bit much. What's next, geniuses? If they were that wise, they'd be less of a road hazard. And innocent? The lion fish we love to hate in the Caribbean are innocent, too. So are starlings, the rats and mice who get in our homes, mosquitos, etc... Ancient? Kind of stretching it there...

It is my desire to restore the wild donkeys to their rightful and just place upon this charming and world-famous island.

An agenda. Regarding an invasive species with no 'rightful place' on Bonaire.

By all means the ancient as well as historically significant population of the Nubian Wild Ass here preserved deserves to continue as a valuable and vital presence on this special island.

Valuable? Debatable. Vital? Ridiculous.

Here these amazing donkeys are appreciated by both residents and ecotourists alike, people who instinctively recognize their worthiness for being here.

That must be why they're rounding them up, castrating them and driving the population into extinction.

Regardless of where you stand on the issue, that write up has some logistical problems.

Richard.

---------- Post added August 2nd, 2014 at 10:15 PM ----------

is anything endemic on an island?

Yes, islands are quite prone to endemic species.

Richard.

 

[t4e]

Haha, good grief - are you serious? How do you think the animals and plants that naturally populated there before the first Caquetio Indians arrived? Some floated, some swam, some flew - or evolved from previous inhabitants that did so when the ocean was much lower during the last ice age and the channel was smaller. How do you think the Galápagos were populated before Darwin arrived? Some tortoises are actually great swimmers, as were the mammoths that once populated Santa Catalina island, CA.

sorry, that came out the wrong way, i meant to refer to big animals only, like the donkeys

 

[Kharon]

drrich2,

Thank you for taking the time to respond to the moronic bushwah (don't know who wrote it). I would never had the patience. This is obviously a PETA extremest completely out of touch with reality. I'm sure they would like the human population of Bonaire exterminated so the donkeys could have full reign. Effin crusaders without a clue.

 

[DandyDon]

Originally Posted by t4e enlighten me, how does nature put anything on an island?

Haha, good grief - are you serious? How do you think the animals and plants that naturally populated there before the first Caquetio Indians arrived? Some floated, some swam, some flew - or evolved from previous inhabitants that did so when the ocean was much lower during the last ice age and the channel was smaller. How do you think the Galápagos were populated before Darwin arrived? Some tortoises are actually great swimmers, as were the mammoths that once populated Santa Catalina island, CA.

sorry, that came out the wrong way, i meant to refer to big animals only, like the donkeys

Ok, well - I think it's rare for larger animals to naturally inhabit islands. Some have migrated to islands during the last ice age when some current islands were connected to mainland or close enough to swim, like the mammoths of Wrangler Is and Catalina Is - which went on to evolve into island dwarfs before being exterminated by climate change and human invasion, but those are exceptional cases. Some islands like Australia have large animals that evolved there and used to have many more before climate change and human invasion killed them off, with their ancestor species having migrated during the last ice age or before. Alaska has bears on remote islands that got there on their own and are still large, and of course Greenland has polar bears, and the examples go on & on - generally without larger animals making to islands, in some cases walking previous land bridges and/or swimming, etc.

Donkeys are members of the horse family, Equidae which once had species as far as North America until the last ice age when they were killed off by climate change and human invasion, but I don't think donkeys left Africa until domesticated around 3,000 BC. My dad had a lot of experiences with mules before tractors and motor vehicles became common, one of my granddads killed a mule once trying to pull start his first car, and we tried one once rounding up cattle but he was uncontrollable. I couldn't get him to do anything except follow my uncle's horse, so we sent him back. We never had donkeys in my families that I know of. There are feral populations in the US causing damages similar to what's happening on this island, but they have their defenders too.

 

[save Bonaires Donkeys]

Kharon, you need to be congradulated. Unless the true facts are at hand persons should refrain from trash posts. The following tells it like it is..
Did all of you enjoy your Christmas?
For those of you that do not know, we did not! our families were separated. Some of us have been injured due to the new regulations orchestrated and administered by the so called "donkey help." Becouse of the contract they signed with the government they are catching all of us, keeping the ladies and our young, cutting off our balls, putting tags in our ears, and turning us loose in a secluded part of the island that may not have water or good vegetation. That part is no matter, we will go back to our original homes. What matters is not finding our family and friends there. (because of the part of the regulations that allows the Donkey help to kill the the old or wounded, and keep our ladies captive).
Could not the thousands of dollars spent be used to install cameras on the roads to stop speeders? (Old systems can be had from Europe for free and the only cost would be instillation. Perhaps volunteers would be glad to install them for free. (This would also save human lives). Why can't the humans use the money to reinstall wells in the kunuku areas, that would serve a dual purpose; giving the kunuku owners much needed water and a place where we can drink. Then we would be happy to stay away from town and speeding cars, (that should be doing 40 to 60 kilometers anyway).
My name is "sweet thing". I am one of the animals they plan on eliminateingto. We were brought here over 400 years ago. We have endured many obstacles handed out by nature over the years, (drought famine etc), and survived. But we will not survive this human made tragedy unless Humans with a heart for animals intervene. Me and my friends are appealing to those of you that have roots on Bonaire some who's families were killed or taken to other islands. We are also appealing to the new residents that know the truth about this action, along with tourist and visitors. With your help and the availability of the large percentage of Bonaire that is not occupied, we could enjoy the next Christmas and live happily after, as some of our past relatives did at the birth of Christ,
A very troubled Sweet Thing, (Possibly a future victom of there plan to rid Bonaire of all donkeys)

 

[t4e]

^^ we visited the Donkey Sanctuary and i have not seen a single donkey with tags in their ears, not in the sanctuary and not on the streest

when was this alleged agreement signed?

 

[drrich2]

Okay, now we've got a talking donkey posting on Scuba Board?

Donkey's are herd animals, but families? Seriously? Also, these donkey's didn't arrive 400 years ago, and I don't think donkey's are concerned enough about ancestral history for this to matter much to them.

I don't think most donkey's know what Christmas is, and most people don't ask about it in August, anyway.

No, people are not going to enforce slower speeds on account of invasive species protection (except humans, of course). That's a pipe dream.

The donkeys don't have natural predators on the island. Something would limit their population. Water supply, food supply, disease or vehicles slamming into them, something's going to do it. And conditions for those survivors will look rough as a result. A donkey emaciated from lack of food, or haggard from dehydration, due to overpopulation of lack of fitness for that habitat, may not look much better than one that got castrated awhile back.

What next, is somebody going to post claiming to be Blub-blub the Caribbean lion fish, talking about the pain of spearings and cullings?

Richard.

 

[boat sju]

The donkeys don't have natural predators on the island. Something would limit their population.

Why not just let the locals hunt them. I'm sure they'd appreciate the meat.