Here is a video from Big Island Vieo News of Kona Nightingales in the Hilo zoo; you can observe they are smaller and fuzzier than the donkeys that call Waikoloa home. The Kona donkeys would be called a "burro" in many parts of the world.Lots of people tell me that the donkeys on the road are a living heritage and must be preserved because they are Kona Nightingales.
Well, these Waikoloa donkeys are living, do have heritage, and are worthy of our care and concern. They just aren't "Kona Nightingales."
Kona Nightingales have a historical connection to Kona coffee farms. Many families owned one or more. Once there were roads and people had some money for cars or trucks, donkeys were released to fend for themselves, freeing their owners from the responsibility of providing food and water.
