Mike Baker, The Donkey Sanctuary

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, the global donkey population is estimated at 44 million. The donkey’s role depend on the communities in which it lives and works. Usually, its traditional role includes riding, ploughing and carting, with less roles in entertainment and food production.

During the last years the global demand for donkey’s products has escalated rapidly, with a particular interest in products from donkey’s skin. The donkey skin trade and the lesser extent associated meat trade is related to both animal and human welfare and it regards Asian, African and South American countries.

The consumption of donkey meat has still been undertaken by some groups in Africa, as an inexpensive and readily accessible source of animal protein, and it resulted from the slaughter of donkeys which are either too old or too incapacitated to continue to work. Even in China the consumption of donkey meat continues to be a popular tradition, with donkey meat being highly prized.

But it is the trading in donkey skins that is rising rapidly. Within the last two years it counts a minimum of 1.8 million donkey skins traded per year, and its global demand has been conservatively estimated to be up to 4 million.

In particular donkey skins are used to produced a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), called ejiao, which is based upon extracts of donkey gelatin in the hide mix with herbs and other ingredients. Ejiao is a medicine with ancient roots and has been promoted as a product worth of emperors and now has become a luxury product for the new cash-middle classes.

Its wide-ranging health benefits are claimed for the products, including anti-ageing properties, a reduction in reproductive-organ disease in women, and the potential to benefit cancer patients. The high level of demand by the Chinese market are increasing the purchase price of donkeys and the products of donkey origin are so highly sought after that ejiao can sell for up to £ 330/kg.

So it appears to be the demand of donkey skins to be the driving factor in the increasing slaughter of donkeys globally.

As a consequence the China’s donkey population has reduced drastically, from an estimated 11 million in 1990 to an estimated 6 million in 2014, as reported by Chinese agricultural authorities.

Furthermore the interest in ejiao products is increasing outside China borders too. New reports have highlighted the availability of products containing ejiao in TCM stores in London and being freely traded throught international trading platforms such as eBay and Amazon.

The global donkey population is now highly vulnerable to these markets.

Also African countries are a key target for donkey skin trade. In fact, in 2016 the trade to China from Sub-Saharan Africa represented approximately 25% of all trade, compared to just 2.3% in 1985, thanks to the recent history cooperation between African governments and China.

In these countries also appear to be two slaughter processes: one in legal, government-sanctioned slaughterhouses and another small-scale slaughter which is based on stolen donkeys. For example, 250 skinned donkey carcasses were discovered in Egypt. In Tanzania more than once donkeys were stolen overnight from rural areas. In South Africa animal welfare organizations are regularly receiving reports of donkeys slaughtered in rural areas for their skins.

Although in some cases governments approved donkey slaughterhouses, such as in Namibia, Botswana, Tanzania and Kenya, in other countries, like Burkina Faso and Niger, governments has banned the export of donkeys and their products.

In Asia, Pakistan was the first country to ban the export of donkey skins, in order to reduce the impact of donkey meat which is fraudulenty sold as beef for public consumption. This is

an aspect that contributed to complicate the situation about the religious heritage which surround the consumption of donkey meat: in fact it is considered “haram”, forbidden, by the Muslim faith.

However, illegal slaughter continues, even because China still encourages other countries within the region to consider the farming of donkeys for production of ejiao.

It is also suspected that the Americas – in particular Mexico, Colombia and Brazil – provide a significant number of skins to the Chinese market every year.

Even the feral donkey populations are facing globally threats. They are viewed by many, including some governments, as a species with little positive impact on local enviroment, hence making profit from skin trading an attractive proposition.

This trade is growing globally every year, in terms of animal welfare, public health and economic, social and cultural stability. These issues are particularly stark in developing countries in which communities rely upon them as working animals.

One of the aspects is the welfare of the donkeys both during and at the end of their life. The way they are sourced, stolen from the owners who care for them well, sold as goods by middlemen, handled by strangers, the cruel conditions during transport afford little or no opportunity for donkeys to rest, feed and drink.

When donkeys are slaughtered simply for their skins, with non value placed on their meat, the treatments are even worst. The skin is available whatever the underlying condition of the donkey, so profits can be obteined from buying sick or weak donkeys, and this discourage owners or dealers from manteining donkeys with good health.

Although the World Organisation for Animal Health has published guidelines for the transport of animals, they do not cover donkeys and their specific behavioural and emotional difficulties. In fact donkeys are a very intellingent species and particularly sensitive to the effects of stress.

Also slaughters are often conducted with no respect for animal health. Although some slaughter may be undertaken with limited suffering to the donkey, it is very likely that the majority of these killings are hurried, and carried out in inappropriate settings by inexperienced people and within sight or earshot of other donkeys.

In addition, for every working donkey, sold into the meat and skin trade, there is an impact on remaining donkeys and their owners. The other working animals will have to carry out tasks they are unsuited to (eg too young, old, diseased). Where there are no additional working animal resources to fall back on, inevitably it will be the women and children in the most communities that fulfil the role of the donkey.

The impact of the emerging market for production donkeys on the communities in the developing countries is also important. The communities reliant on donkeys for their livelihoods are unaware of the wider implications of local and international depopulation of donkey. So they sell donkeys for short-term gain, not knowing the potential economic value of that animal relating to just one year of work. In addition donkeys play a key role in their communities by empowering women, providing freedom for children to study and develop and as a mechanism for poor communities to save and to self-manage risks.

The full report “Under the Skin” about this issue has been released by The Donkey Sanctuary (www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk), in collaboration with OIPA Tanzania MAWO (www.meruanimalwelfare.org).

WHAT YOU CAN DO

• Read the full report at: https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/under-the-skin/full-report
• Do not buy ejiao
• Share the report with your friends and raise awareness

L'articolo THE DONKEY SKIN MARKET: THREAT FOR DONKEY WORLD POPULATION AND RURAL AFRICAN COMMUNITIES proviene da OIPA.

Spay and Neuter Clinic

MAWO spay and neuter campaign continued in July, as they conducted a week of veterinary services in Terat village. Theyr primary goal is help reduce the number of puppies born, and thus the spread of disease. They believe that if they can contribute to spaying female dogs and reduce the number of pups born each year, this will gradually lower the number of suffering street and feral dogs, which are directly linked to disease and infestations into rural communities (See our article about stray dogs in developing countries, CLICK HERE).

Donkey Mobile Clinic

From July to September of this year, MAWO provided treatment to 978 donkeys through their mobile clinics. The goal of MAWO’s mobile clinics is to promote the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of donkeys diseases, disorders and injuries. Though donkeys are very sturdy and strong animals, they are susceptible to various diseases and health problems. MAWO provides advice and services related to vaccination routine treatments (such as deworming), wound treatment, hoof trimming, eye care, and cure for illnesses. At the mobile Clinics, MAWO also provides drugs and advice where they can be obtained for future needs.

Harness Training

MAWO hosted successful donkey harnessing trainings in the villages of Terat, Komolo and Losinay. As a result, 90 Maasai women were able to create their own cruelty-free harness by using local materials which are commonly available in their areas. Participants were also trained on making saddle packs to protect the spine of the donkey. Poorly- made and badly-fitting harnesses not only cause wounds, but also affect a donkey’s behavior, body condition, lameness, and certain diseases such as tetanus. MAWO continues to assess animal welfare through the use of the Donkey Welfare Guide.

Radio Program

MAWO continues to use radio outreach in an effort to positively change attitudes of users and owners of donkeys. Through these informative broadcasts, they strive to improve the knowledge af animal-owners in order to facilitate and encourage good animal-welfare practices and equipment use, thereby reducing the incidence of donkey injuries. MAWO also educates the public on sheltering their donkeys to avoid their being stolen or developing malicious skin disease that are common in the communities. Radio has allowed MAWO to reach a high percentage of residents and they aim to continue using these means, along with web and social media, to educate the public.

TO SUPPORT OIPA TANZANIA – MAWO AND THEIR PROJECTS VISIT DONATE PAGE AND MAKE A DONATION CAUSAL “OIPA TANZANIA”

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L'articolo OIPA TANZANIA – COMMUNITY PROJECTS AND DONKEYS’ WELFARE EDUCATION proviene da OIPA.

OIPA Delegation in Tanzania – Meru Animal Welfare Organization (MAWO) is a nonprofit animal-welfare organization working in the Meru region of Tanzania. Within their culture and society, they fight for these five freedoms of animals:

• Freedom from hunger and thirst
• Freedom from discomfort
• Freedom from pain, injury and disease
• Freedom from fear and distress
• Freedom to express normal behavior 

Their mission is to protect all animals from torture, abuse, cruelty, diseases, and killing. Their vision is for animals to be respected as living creatures who experience pain, fear, and suffering. Their aim is to promote, improve and develop of any matter concerning the protection of animals and understanding of animals among the people of Meru District, Tanzania without gaining any profit.

OIPA Tanzania attends educational campaigns in the schools, because to guarantee a better future to the animals and to the communities is essential to start from children.

During their last visit to the Nazareth primary school they met 70 students and worked with them on animal welfare issues.

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Find more info here: https://www.gofundme.com/2bhhdu4

L'articolo OIPA TANZANIA – MAWO MOBILE CLINIC FOR ANIMALS proviene da OIPA.

Volunteering with Meru Animal Welfare Organization will help make even a greater impact towards the welfare of domestic animals especially the donkeys and dogs whose welfare has been greatly neglected all over Northern Tanzania. Incorporation of skills from MAWO personnel and the volunteers will influence even greater change as we there is a vast pool of different ideas to tackling the same goal.

 The volunteer will have an opportunity to have a hands on experience on executing welfare activities with the locals while appreciating the beautiful landscapes and different cultural practices and heritage of the people from Tanzania. (S)he will also get to work alongside incredible animals who will made your heart with adoration.

MAWO Voluntership gives the volunteer an All Round experience of the vast Tanzania thus IT’S AN OPPORTUNITY NOT TO MISS!! WELCOME!

Qualifications

• No previous experience required
• Enthusiastic
• Have the self-drive to work efficiently with minimal supervision
• Perseverance (able to tolerate high temperatures and humidity and also work in remote areas)
• Curious to learn all that entails animal welfare
• Should be able to work in a team
• Ability to speak and understand English

Volunteer Responsibilities

Main Purpose:

To lead, manage, and motivate all Meru Animal Welfare Organization and efficiently and effectively implementing the Organization strategies plans for improving animal welfare in the Meru & Simanjiro District.

1. To advice the Mawo Team on how to improve the day to day activities of animal welfare for good performance of the organization.
2. Helping to design different programs for animal welfare.
3. Seeking internal and external donors and apply for grants.
4. Writing and giving reports to the donors on the progress of MAWO.
5. To design Fund raising activities and put into practice.
6. Designing and writing MAWO newsletters, brochures etc.
7. Field activities i.e. Dog & Donkey Clinics.
8. Finding and inviting new members (internal and external) to join MAWO from different areas i.e. Tour operation organizations, Hotels, Big farm operations etc.
9. Providing education in schools i.e. primary and secondary, Communities and also conduct clubs.

Working Hours?

Monday-Friday;  0900hrs to 1700hrs

Saturdays; 0900hrs to 1700hrs (NB: Only during mobile clinics)

Lunch break; 1300hrs to 1400hrs

Sundays are free to relax

Note:  MAWO is not responsible for any travelling expenses incurred by the volunteer. We only provide free accommodation BUT full meal and transport will cost $30 per person per day

L'articolo VOLUNTEERING WITH OIPA TANZANIA – MAWO proviene da OIPA.

Inform and educate children to respect the animals is the key to see a change in the future generations.

OIPA Tanzania work to educate both children and adults on proper animal care and welfare. By bringing educational and fun seminars to schools around the Meru Area, they help prepare the next generation for a better and kinder understanding of animals. They also work with animal owners in market places and with community leaders in villages to learn proper livestock harnessing and working conditions. In 2013 they created the MAWO Educational Guide to better serve and teach school children through learning activities and story-telling lessons.

Support OIPA Tanzania – Meru Animal Welfare Organization

Visit their website: http://www.meruanimalwelfare.org/

L'articolo OIPA TANZANIA – Kitefu primary School and animal welfare education proviene da OIPA.

In the campaign, people in the area have formed a community donkey security network—a platform for local communities to exchange notes on the security of the working animals in their localities.

“As MAWO we’ve established Donkey Security Network to connect all community by sharing information if they have any information of people from/out of community need stole their donkey,” said Johnson Lyimo who is the organization’s coordinator.

He said the campaign came after reports that a number of donkeys are being stolen in the district by people who suspected to have been taking the animals to Dodoma Region.

It is estimated that since January more than 2500 donkey have been stolen from the district which is mostly being inhabited by Maasai pastoralists.

The MAWO’s campaign is carried out in collaboration with local leaders.

“So we’ve been telling people to start keeping donkeys in shelters as it is to cattle. This will help to reduce theft incidences, which currently are on top gear,” Lyimo said.

He added: “We have been using different platforms including community-based radios such as Radio to cover more area and tell community to keep their donkeys in Boma as most of them stolen in night hours and outside the boma.”

 According to him, the organization will also continue educating the community to keep their donkey, which plays an imperative role when it comes to providing cheap transport for rural communities.

“We are working together with Community as they still need this animal for their daily life.”

Recently, Naberera villagers managed to seize 200 donkeys, which were enroute to Dodoma Region.

Parked in a Lorry, the donkeys were being stolen from different bomas of Simanjiro District

Another MAWO official Dr Dauson Katurisa said people in the area have been complaining of the decreasing number of donkeys in their localities due to theft.

“These people here are relying on donkey as their transport means. They use donkeys in transporting luggage, water for domestic use and crops from farms.”

Naberera village chairman, Jacob Korosi said that in the donkey theft incidences, some leaders are involved.

So far, he said that more than 2500 donkeys have been stolen in the district, which leads in northern Tanzania for having large number of donkeys.

Last year, the district had more than 30,000 donkeys.

Other districts include Longido, Mionduli, Ngorongoro and Arusha.
MAWO is a nonprofit animal-welfare organization working in the Northern region of Tanzania, which fights for these five freedoms of animals–Freedom from hunger and thirst, Freedom from discomfort, Freedom from pain, injury and disease, Freedom from fear and distress and Freedom to express normal behavior.

“Punda wetu maisha yetu “ The aim is to protect this animal to continue helping the community especial the women.

L'articolo OIPA TANZANIA – THE VOLUNTEERS START A CAMPAIGN TO FIGHT DONKEYS THIEVES proviene da OIPA.

• Advice on how to provide adequate guardianship of companion animals
• General veterinary advice
• Rabies vaccines
• Deworming and wound treatment
• Basic dog behavior advice
• Flea and tick preventative medicine
• Nail clipping
• Promotion of sterilization

This was a great opportunity not only to provide aid to dogs and cats that urgently need it, but also to reach people face to face and learn from their needs, concerns and interactions with their companion animals, so that we can develop more accurate solutions for them.

“We need, in a special way, to work twice as hard to help people understand that the animals are fellow creatures, that we must protect them and love them as we love ourselves.”
César Chávez

This is also a great example of good collaboration between government, local organizations and the community. I congratulate the Simanjiro district for this effort, and I am happy that MAWO is able to reach more people and animals with these programs.

OIPA TANZANIA – School clubs

Educating younger generation can easily form a future generation who grows up with knowledge, care and love for the animals. Education program based on animal welfare continues at Terat, Emboret and Laiborsoit Primary school Also in January we were invited to St. Constantine International School to Talk with Animal Welfare Club and continue give them education on animal welfare.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”.
Nelson Mandela

Author: Mr. Johnson Lyimo

L'articolo OIPA TANZANIA AND THE RABIES VACCINATION CAMPAIGN proviene da OIPA.

Actually, even without natural predators, African elephants are one of the most endangered mammals, according to the IUCN red list of threatened species (2014/2015). This is due to human activities, principally poaching, which is realized in order to obtain the ivory from their tusks. Ivory is used for fashion and medical purposes, specially required by Asian markets, but many other factors increase this activity, such as underemployment, poverty and corruption, more and more widespread in the supply countries that lead people to commit crimes to satisfy their basic needs.

Tanzania is now experiencing a second wave of poaching. The first crisis, happened between the 1970s and the 1980s, was followed by a 20-years period off, where no elephant was killed for ivory.
Associated with ineffective law enforcement, poaching in Tanzania dramatically reduced the elephant population to less than 30% of the initial number, at the origin of the first crisis. The second one saw a further decline in the population of African elephant: from the beginning of 2009, when the number of elephant was about 109.051, approximately 30 elephants per day have been killed, while their ivory has been delivered within and outside Tanzania. Because of this, elephants have become the main focus of the 2016 global campaigns of the World Wildlife Day.

Poaching, as other crimes that have wildlife as victim, need to be reversed: it leads to serious consequences, not only ecologically, but also on an economic, political and social level. First of all, halting elephant’s ivory traffic is a global request, demonstrated by the growing number of Conferences, succeeded one another since the beginning of 2014, of which one held in Tanzania. The Arusha Declaration, the result of the Tanzanian Conference, included measures to combat the unsustainable traffic of wild flora and fauna and to develop protocols in order to increase the harmonization in the control of wildlife and the coordination in the determination of crimes. Secondly, elephant is a fundamental animal for the maintenance of the habitat for other animals reducing the tree density, and so creating space and the right ecosystem for other plants. Moreover, elephants are an umbrella species: when their habitats are protected, in order to protect them, many other species are protected, too. Thirdly, elephant poaching erodes the Government’s credibility attracting criticism from the International Community, which refers principally to the rampant corruption of these States. In addition, elephant is one of the most important elements of the Tanzanian tourism; more than the 80% of which is wildlife-based (safaris), and this is the principal mean for the economic development. Another factor worth considering is the view according to which elephant poaching is becoming a security and humanitarian issue: in fact, together with all the other wildlife crimes, it increases the insecurity and it is linked to civil and terroristic wars, because rebels earn from these illegal killings and traffic up to 40% of all their profits.
“The environmental, economic and social consequences of wildlife crime are profound. Of particular concern are the implications of illicit trafficking for peace and security in a number of countries where organized crime, insurgency and terrorism are often closely linked.”
[The UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon on World Wildlife Day, March 2014]

Among the main reasons that leads to poaching, there are the elevated request for wildlife products, poverty, scarcity and unemployment, the improper advantage given to local communities limited by conservation activities, population pressure, insufficient funds for conservation, corruption and political instability.
Different strategies can be implemented to fight against elephant poaching in Tanzania.
Firstly, by monitoring the demand for ivory in consumer countries: the high level of those environmental crimes are a direct response of the equally high request. Imposing real controls in the demand would reduce immediately the issue. This aim could be achieved by raising awareness in the large public about the abuses to which elephant are submitted; introducing mechanisms in the domestic markets to guarantee specific controls on imported and exported products; modifying social rules that accept these forms of abuses…
Secondly, increasing benefits to local communities would allow to curb the poaching. This activity assure to local communities takings that are largely superior to those gained with the legal economic employment. Benefit-sharing need to be revised in order to discourage local persons to be part of the poaching.
Furthermore, it become fundamental to address underemployment and poverty. These are the principal reasons driving people to illegal activities, in order to survive. Industrialization would increase jobs and the quality of life. Moreover, increasing the interest for professionalism would be helpful: education, raising awareness and punishing those who fail to comply these ethical principles would guarantee a better governance and a reduction in poaching activities.
Lastly, fighting against corruption would really contribute to combat ivory trafficking, and so elephant poaching.

In conclusion, it is essential the role of Tanzanian’s Government in implementing the necessary measures in order to reduce the poaching of the vulnerable African elephant. It is needful the redoubling of the efforts made by all the single States and the solicitation of the International Community in underlining the relevance of the issue and in the attempt to identify a possible, definitive solution. In this sense, the 17^th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CITES) will take place in Johannesburg between 24^th September and 5^th October 2016. On the starting day, a march for a global ivory ban will be held in different cities across the world, from North America to the Asian Southeast.

Sources: IUNC, National Geographic

L'articolo THE ELEPHANT’S SENSE OF LIFE: THE IMPORTANCE OF CURBING TANZANIAN POACHING proviene da OIPA.