Donkey Delight

May these donkeys bring joy to your heart! (videos below)

In the 17^th century, donkeys were brought to the Caribbean island of Bonaire from Spain for hard labor in the salt industry. Then with the advent of machinery, the donkeys were no longer needed and left to fend for themselves. To this day, around 1000 wild donkeys suffer from starvation, dehydration, and human abuse. Traffic accidents also kill or wound a lot of the them.

There is good news. In 1993 Dutch nationals, Marina Melis and Ed Koopman, established Donkey Sanctuary Bonaire. Around 700 lucky donkeys are currently sheltered there and given food, drinking water and medical care as well as a protected place to live.

When we arrived at the Sanctuary late in the afternoon, to our surprise Marina was operating the gate that provided us access to the donkeys. After giving us an overview, she let us roam around in our car.

There were donkeys everywhere, and it was feeding time! Cruise ships and other patrons help by donating left-over food to the sanctuary. Also, the entrance fees go directly to helping the donkeys.

Depending upon their issues, donkeys were in separate enclosures. One section was just for senior donkeys who needed a little extra attention. Seniors are between 30-55 years old. There were around 50 in this “Senior Meadow.”

Another area was for pregnant donkeys and those who had just given birth with their foals.

A large open area was for healthy donkeys to roam as they choose. We got out of our car so we could interact with the curious ones who came over to say, “hi.” We intuitively asked them what they’d like to share, and here is what they had to say:

“It’s pleasant to be here.”

“I don’t have much to complain about.”

“It’s good to meet you.”

“You’re nice.”

It was interesting how many of them seemed to be balanced and kind. They appeared to be level headed and generally mellow. We saw some who had a strong opinion they wanted to get across to another donkey, but they weren’t doing any power plays with us. They actually treated us as equals. They were so sweet.

These delightful donkeys seemed content and they enjoyed our interactions. Patting them was a heart-warming experience.

May your heart be filled with love and contentment today and throughout the year!

Video: Feeding time at Donkey Sanctuary Bonaire (14 sec)