Presentation for the Caribbean Animal Welfare Conference, June 15, 2015, San Jose, Costa Rica by Pauline Kayes, professor emeritus, part-time resident of Bonaire and Champaign, Illinois, and a supporter of DSB for 20 years

1. DONKEY SANCTUARY BONAIRE
Presentation for the Caribbean
Animal Welfare Conference, June 15,
2015, San Jose, Costa Rica
by
Pauline Kayes, professor emeritus,
part-time resident of Bonaire and
Champaign, Illinois, and a supporter
of DSB for 20 years

2. DONKEY SANCTUARY BONAIRE:
HISTORY AND MISSION
Established 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. **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

7. 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.

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

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. “
”
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.

17. 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.

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

19. “
”
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.

20. 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.

21. 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”.

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

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

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

25. 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.

26. 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.

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

28. 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.

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

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

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

32. 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.

33. 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.

34. **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

35. 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!