A Comparison Between Working and Nonworking Donkeys Welfare Issues in Nyala City, South Darfur, Sudan.
Authors: Adam Saber Y, Ahmed Abdelkareem A, Musa Hassan H, Fedail Jaafar S, Musa Taha H
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary Donkeys represent a critical but often overlooked component of rural livelihoods across sub-Saharan Africa, yet systematic welfare data remain scarce. Researchers in Nyala, South Darfur conducted a comparative assessment of 50 working versus 50 nonworking donkeys, evaluating physical condition, clinical signs, behaviour, and management practices through physical examination and owner interview. Working donkeys experienced substantially worse outcomes across multiple parameters: only 37% maintained ideal body condition compared with 47% of nonworking animals, whilst 13% of working donkeys were classified as emaciated; hoof problems affected 33% of working versus 19% of nonworking animals; and ocular discharge (15%) and wounds (25%) occurred exclusively in working donkeys, alongside observable depressive (7%) and aggressive (5%) behavioural responses. Management practices differed markedly, with owners of working donkeys employing aversive handling tools significantly more often—33% using sticks and 17% using whips—whilst feeding frequency was generally restricted, with only 18% of animals receiving ad libitum access. For equine professionals in resource-limited settings, these findings underscore the necessity of integrating basic farriery, eye care, and wound management into community-based donkey health programmes, alongside owner education on humane handling and adequate nutrition to sustain working animals.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Working donkeys in resource-limited settings experience significantly higher welfare challenges including malnutrition, hoof disease, and injuries—practitioners should advocate for baseline care standards and owner education
- •Hoof problems are nearly twice as prevalent in working donkeys (33% vs 19%); regular farriery assessment and preventive care protocols could substantially improve welfare
- •Owner behavior and feeding frequency directly correlate with welfare outcomes; simple education interventions on nutrition and humane handling could be high-impact in low-resource regions
Key Findings
- •37% of working donkeys vs 47% of nonworking donkeys had ideal body condition scores, with 13% of working donkeys emaciated
- •33% of working donkeys had hoof problems compared to 19% of nonworking donkeys
- •25% of working donkeys had wounds and 15% had ocular discharge
- •33% of owners used sticks and 17% used whips to hit working donkeys, with 82% feeding donkeys only 1-3 times daily