THE WORKING DONKEYS OF SOUTH INDIA

A report into the plight of working donkeys in the Hill Stations of South India .  

Prepared by India Project for Animals and Nature (IPAN), Mavanhalla, Nilgiris.

March 2006

REPORT ON DONKEYS IN THE NILGIRIS

The plight of donkeys in some areas of South India is pitiful. In the Nilgiris area, donkeys are used mainly in construction of houses. With the tourism industry booming, unchecked town planning has led to an explosion in building construction in the hills. With the treacherous hilly terrain, builders are using donkeys to transport building materials up and down where there are no roads for vehicles to ply. With an increasing demand for houses in remote areas of the Nilgiris, more and more donkeys are being brought here from the plains and then abandoned or resold locally after construction is completed. It is a tragic sight to see these poor creatures stumbling along up treacherous paths overloaded with bricks and sand.

Apart from all this, owners are often very cruel and brand the donkeys so harshly that they are burnt and disfigured for life. A common practice also is to cut the donkeys nostrils open as they believe that the better the donkey can breathe at high altitude, the more efficiently it can work. These wounds often turn septic.

Donkeys rescued by IPAN with cut noses and severe burns

METTUPALAYAM

Approx. 100 Donkeys at the Bridge over the River on the outskirts of the city and another 100 in S.M. Nagar. 200 Donkeys in all live on the streets of Mettupalayam on the foothills of the Nilgiris on the way up to Ooty.

Donkeys chained to an old tyre on the bridge outside Mettupalayam .

These donkeys are mainly used for the transport of river sand for sale to Builders and Landscapers.within the city.

Donkeys being loaded with sand from the riverbed.

About 20% of donkeys are used for carrying Arakanut from the fields to the market

There are about 20 owners [or different casts and communities] who own 10 or more donkeys each.

The daily earnings per donkey are between Rs 150/- and Rs 300/- per day, depending on the number of trips.

This is mainly a family business with both husband and wife loading and leading the donkeys.

The ailments that are common here are Tetanus, and Snake bite. Deworming is essential and often neglected.

There is a large wholesale market of old iron articles including discarded heavy machinery near the river, this could account for the high rate of Tetanus deaths that occur in Donkeys near the Bridge area.

Proper harnesses are needed to prevent wounds on the backs of the donkeys brought upon by carrying heavy loads

Here a very primitive method of castration is practised. Using two sticks and no medical treatment. Most males are gelded in this manner. It is a cruel and painful process that must be stopped.

At this moment there are about 50 donkeys to be gelded.

Owners interviewed say each donkey costs about Rs 2000/- and his or her working life is about 5 years.

This is what the owners say but in practice a donkey is worked till he drops.

IPAN's Managing Trustee Nigel Otter talking to donkey owners in Mettupalayam.

Donkeys waiting to be loaded

ARAVANKADU AND KETTI DONKEYS

These areas are in the hills of the Nilgiris and Donkeys here is approx. 100 to 150 these vary at different times of the year, as more donkeys are needed for increased building activity.

These 150 to 200 donkeys have a very difficult life. They are left out in the open in extreme weather conditions in the rain, cold and sleet of this hill area. They live of grass and forage for food in garbage. Their only shelter is under trees or parked trucks.

Donkeys foraging under a garbage truck

Their loads consist of stones, bricks and cement. These are carried to houses being constructed on top of hills, which are yet unapproachable, by road.

Donkeys are overloaded with bricks at construction sites

The terrain is very steep and these overloaded donkeys often fall over with sometimes-tragic results.

Most donkeys in this area are hesitant to walk on shaky or rocky paths and are beaten into submission. The area of operation is often off the beaten track and not seen by others, so treatment and overloading is at its worst.

No proper harnesses are used and since the load is mainly stones and bricks the injuries to the donkeys are horrific. Nylon ropes tied under gunny bags are used to hold the loads in place and these also cut into the animal as the weight shifts on the uneven ground.

Building activity is seasonal depending on the weather, once the weather turns inclement, the donkeys are abandoned out in the open to fend for themselves..

As this is the main road to Ooty a lot of donkeys are hit by fast moving traffic. An animal that is badly injured is left abandoned by the roadside

Monitoring of these Donkeys is most essential.

SABRIMALA DONKEYS

There is a shrine on top of a range of hills in Kerala [Bordering the Nilgiris] called the Ayyapan Temple . Every year there is an influx of devotees, sometimes lacs of people come here to worship.

There are 500 to 1000 donkeys in this area are used for carrying food. They are grossly overworked, each trip up the hills is 7 kms and some of them are required to make two or three trips during the festival time.

Donkeys are heavily overloaded for trips up and down the hill.

Injuries to these donkeys are very common

The prime problem here is exhaustion from heavy loads carried over long distances on a hilly terrain. Once again monitoring is essential here.

PROBLEMS OF ALL STRAY EQUINES IN THE NILGIRIS

• The climate is cold and wet through most of the year.
• All stray equines, which include hill ponies, retired/abandoned racehorses and working donkeys, require a shed with some straw and drinking water.
• A shed of this sort is needed in Ooty, for abandoned racehorses and ponies and in Aravankadu, Ketti and Mettupalayam, for working donkeys
• We have only one Farrier in ooty and he has old rusty equipment. We need to see that he has more modern tools and a small place can be made for him near the proposed Ooty Shed.
• Anti -Tetanus and De-worming for all equines and training of paravets to attend and monitor all equine activities in remote areas.

This report is prepared by India Project for Animals and Nature (IPAN)

Hill View Animal Shelter

Mavanhalla P.O. Nilgiris.

E-mail ipannilgiris@hotmail.com .

Web site www.indiapan.org

Training for paravets is on the anvil at IPAN, schedules, funding and subjects to be covered are all being worked out and details of this are available with IPAN