Mule trains to mountain roads: the role of working mules in supporting resilient communities in the Himalayas.
Authors: Kubasiewicz Laura M, Watson Tamlin, Thapa Sajana, Nye Caroline, Chamberlain Natasha
Journal: Frontiers in veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary Working mules underpin livelihoods across Nepal's remote Manaslu Valley, yet their welfare and the welfare of their owners remain largely undocumented and unaddressed by development initiatives. Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and formal Equine Assessment Research and Scoping (EARS) welfare assessments with mule owners to establish the animals' role in community resilience and explore the interconnected human–animal experience in this high-risk environment. Mule ownership represented the primary sustainable livelihood option for most participants, though some had successfully diversified income through pack work; notably, owners with greater husbandry experience did not demonstrate better mule behavioural welfare outcomes, indicating potential gaps in knowledge transmission within communities. Short-term stressors—particularly monsoon season hazards and track instability—imposed greater financial and emotional burden than anticipated long-term disruption from road construction, leaving mule owners to navigate constant trade-offs between higher monsoon wages and animal and human safety. Recognition of mules' critical role in community resilience, coupled with formal integration of working equid welfare into humanitarian and sustainable development frameworks, could strengthen support systems that benefit both animals and people—a particularly urgent consideration as infrastructure development reshapes these marginalised mountain economies.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Working mules in mountain communities face significant welfare challenges linked to owner economic pressures and environmental volatility; veterinary support should address both animal health and owner financial sustainability
- •Loss of traditional husbandry knowledge in younger generations suggests need for formal training and mentorship programs to improve mule welfare practices in remote areas
- •Seasonal weather events create acute welfare crises (monsoon work at higher risk) that require practical, low-cost solutions alongside longer-term infrastructure planning
Key Findings
- •Pack mules are perceived as the 'only option' for sustainable livelihood by most mule owners in remote Manaslu Valley, Nepal, though some have used them to diversify income
- •Mule owners with greater husbandry experience did not own mules in more positive behavioural states, suggesting loss of generational knowledge and support networks
- •Short-term risks such as monsoon and unstable tracks have greater financial and emotional impact than long-term road construction implications
- •Mules provide resilience and employment mobility for communities managing constant uncertainty, with potential to strengthen sustainable development goals if animal welfare is integrated