working equids

The results from the study of the socio-economic impacts of working donkeys in Ethiopia reveal that donkeys are major contributors to people’s lives no matter what context they are living and working in; for their owners, donkeys are the difference between destitution and modest survival. Sadly, the drudgery performed by donkeys is often a reflection of the lives of their owners; their hardships are shared. Donkeys become pathways out of poverty for the poor in rural and urban areas by providing access to opportunities through transportation for income generation, to attend schools, markets, and health clinics. The use of donkeys allows people to earn and save money and increase their ability to contribute to community savings and loans schemes.

Donkey owners expressed acute dependence on their donkeys and articulated feelings of love and friendship, even respect. Donkeys are understood to be animals that make people’s lives easier and act as mutual friends and life supports. Owners describe the importance and value that donkeys bring to their own lives and to their communities, however, although donkeys are undervalued and underappreciated by broader Ethiopian society. Donkeys are seen as ‘low-class’ animals of the working poor and the immense benefits they bring to those who own them remain largely invisible. Furthermore, donkeys’ social position within society is viewed as similar to that of women and, sadly, both are said to be treated equally—being beaten, carrying large loads on their backs and being submissive to men.

Where donkeys are in regular usage they are seen as important animals, friends or even part of the family, and people would find it difficult to make ends meet or provide for their families if they did not own a donkey. Humans rely on donkey transport to health services, to create their livelihoods, to relieve them of physical burdens and prevent them from slipping into extreme poverty. Donkeys rely on humans for feed, veterinary care, shelter, safety, and rest. Thus, donkey and human health are interconnected. However, donkey owners struggle to provide care to their families and livestock; provision of care to donkeys features low down on owners’ priority lists. As a result donkey welfare suffers. Donkey welfare assessment results show that the majority of donkeys surveyed suffered from gait abnormalities, abnormal hoof shapes, a high prevalence of body lesions, poor body condition scores, and displayed behaviours potentially indicative of negative emotional states.

Despite the donkeys important contributions to many of Ethiopia’s poor they remain absent from government animal health and welfare policies, they are overlooked by development goals and are marginalised by wider society. Thus, an exploration of the human dimensions of donkey wellbeing is crucial for understanding and properly valuing the donkeys’ impact in developing countries.