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| Pack animal: Two villagers load a donkey in Debre Zeit, Ethiopia. The animals are often required to carry as much as double their body
weight. Christina M. Russo |
Group helps Ethiopia's donkeys
The Donkey Health and Welfare Project tries to change the way Ethiopians view animals that are vital to their livelihoods.
from the July 18, 2007 edition
Page 3 of 3
"From the beginning, the donkeys in Ethiopia were the worst of any we'd looked at in the world," she says. "They are very small animals, and yet they were worked very, very hard. The number of wounds was extraordinary "
But Dr. Svendsen says that the situation has changed for the better since the project began.
"We've helped treat over 500,000 donkeys. That is definite progress. And the donkeys are beginning to live longer – up to five years longer," she says.
This year, The Donkey Sanctuary will give more than $900,000 to Gebreab's project – nearly double its usual amount – to build a veterinary clinic in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa.
"Dr. Gebreab is a very special man – always looking forward, and very dedicated to his work," Svendsen says.
Back at the project's main office in Debre Zeit, which houses an immaculate lab, surgical facility, and clinic, Gebreab still agonizes over the lowly status of the animal to which he has dedicated his career. "They are really important. The donkey is mentioned 80 times in the Bible, and yet the image of it is poor. This is what we are searching for – we are trying to understand why."
He acknowledges that it does take some convincing that his work is relevant. "It is difficult," Gebreab says. "This country has a lot of human problems.… Donkeys are not a glamorous species. First you are ridiculed, but then the discussion starts. Animal welfare is a difficult subject, but I think we are making some progress."
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