Thanks to your kind support, the team at Zambezi Working Donkey Project (ZWDP) provided 491 donkeys with essential veterinary care during October. They also continued in their quest to provide working donkeys with humane harnesses, and educate owners about the basics of good animal care and welfare.
See how your generous donations are supporting donkeys in Zambia.
october Overview
Your generosity made it possible for us to continue providing essential welfare and veterinary care to working donkeys in the communities we serve in Zambia.
During October, a total of 111 donkeys received deworming treatment to control internal parasites, while 251 received treatment against external parasites such as ticks and lice.
We also provided basic wound care for 121 donkeys to promote healing and prevent infection. Six donkeys required more advanced wound management, including treatment for infections, pain relief and antibiotics.
We received two drop-in visits at our sanctuary - Maramba Farm - distributed six new humane harnesses, and replaced six existing ones.
mobile clinics
The ZWDP team conducted four mobile clinics in Mabbonga, Chibule, Dindi and Libala villages. At each clinic, we engaged with community members about animal welfare concerns, including the use of proper harnessing.
We also completed seven field checks in Mabbonga, Chibule, Dindi, Katapazi, Libuyu, Maloni and Libala villages, where animal welfare was discussed. This included reducing workloads, providing adequate food and water, recognising signs of illness, and allowing donkeys to rest during extreme heat.
emergency calls
During October, we received three emergency calls from Natebe, Mabbonga and Mukuni villages. Unfortunately, two of these cases had very sad outcomes. The loss of even one working donkey in these communities is devastating.
One donkey we attended to was Winter in the village of Mabbonga. Winter’s life consists of ploughing fields and carrying loads. When the 11-year-old donkey stopped eating, his owner knew something was very wrong. For two days, Winter refused food. By the third morning he refused water too, and he no longer reacted when called.
His owner gave him an antibiotic injection to try to help but when Winter didn’t improve, he called our team. Winter had no fever, so this wasn’t a simple infection. His gums were dry and tacky, and his gut was almost silent.
A donkey who won’t drink can’t recover on his own, so we gave him water through a stomach tube, along with antibiotics, pain relief and vitamins. We repeated the treatment the next day. By day three, Winter was eating and drinking normally again.
His owner’s call to ZWDP made a huge difference. We also educated him about self-administering medications, because even a well-meant dose of antibiotics can do more harm than good and contributes to drug resistance.
thank you
ZWDP extends our sincere appreciation for providing the resources that make this work possible. Your support translates into practical, life-changing care for donkeys who depend on timely veterinary attention.
Thank you for standing with us and improving the welfare of working donkeys in Zambia, one animal at a time.