Good News of the Mauka Donkey aka "the wet burrito."

The owner of the distressed donkey pictured in prior post, was identified through help from a neighbor.  As the search for the owner drew to a close,  the Hawaii Island Humane Society stepped in to be sure the donkey was receiving care.

HIHS was able to contact the owner and spoke with him and then went on a tour of his pasturage to see the donkey.  The owner was able to have the donkeys hooves trimmed. The owner plans better oversight of this parcel of land, which turns out to be 80 acres. He will be able to keep track of the donkey's needs and was made aware that if it needs a home in the future, one can be found.

This situation can happen when someone doesn't realize a donkey can live 30 years. It's not unusual for a donkey to outlive its owner, so wise adopters make plans for their donkeys in their estates. It was acquired about 20 years ago and when the owner died,  the donkey was apparently forgotten. Now the donkey will have a healthier life.

Thanks go to the HIHS for taking on the task of addressing the donkey's needs with the owners, and to the owners who stepped in immediately to care for the family's forgotten member.

Mauka Donkey

Just to report things are fine with the herd that remains here (no current estimate) but it is looking good and has food.

Things are not so good for a lost cousin up mauka, as the photo shows. We are working on access and an assessment of donkey's health. You can clearly see here what happens when a donkey on wet ground does not have farrier services. Our rough lava flows do an imperfect but adequate job of keeping their hooves "trimmed".  This misaligns their whole body and leads in increased presence of certain donkey diseases,. None of our herd is perfect but none we have seen is in this bad shape. This donkey hopefully can be saved.

Have you seen me?
ANYONE with info on this or other Kēkake Mauka (Mountain Donkey)
 please call 808 937 2309

We are still here, we still need adoptive homes, and humane solutions to a donkey's problems, if any, are the only kind we use.


No other news. There have been a few on-going adoptions. With Brady Bergin, DVM, out of state it is more difficult to be active, but both Brady and HSUS are both still involved and rescuing donkeys and adopting donkeys out. They are considering on-going periods of smaller round ups to keep up with sterilization of donkeys to abate growth of herd.)

Are the donkeys thirsty?

Possibly, sometimes.

While the donkeys people see off Waikoloa Road sometimes appear to have no water, they are watered twice a week and also have other access to water. Would they like more? Probably. But with as much green grass, even dry grass, they can go a long time without water and longer on "low water".  Donkeys,  like camels, can fill up all at once after working (bearing our burdens) a long number of days without water,  If they fill up all at once from "empty" they can drink 13 gallons of water! I have to get out my calculator and figure the percent of body weight that is. ... later.