I have been assured by the WVA Manager that the WVA will only kill donkeys once other alternatives have been exhausted and there are still donkeys left, around the village. And other alternatives are being sought.
While euthanasia is now Plan B instead of Plan A, it is disturbing that it is part of the plan at all.
How long does the capture go on? How many? Dunno.
Thank you everyone who helped bring about this change of view.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Waikoloa Donkeys in the News – Again!
Great News!
The Waikoloa Nigtingales are covered on the front page of today's West Hawaii Today. The WVA manager says no one wants to kill a single donkey. I thank everyone who has contacted the Board and the Manager, and, hope you will let them know of your ongoing interest over the coming weeks and months. A gentle reminder to keep it respectful, please.
An incorrect statement is made in the article: "Since the Waikoloa Village Association announced at its board meeting its plans to build a corral, rumors have run rampant, erroneously stating that the association wants to euthanize the donkeys or give them to someone -- including DLNR -- who will, Whillock said." The correct situation is since the the WVA Manager announced it had arranged to turn over donkeys to the DLNR, and that it didn't know exactly where the donkeys would go after that, that truth was emailed by me to friends and acquaintances in Waikoloa. Lots of people at the meeting heard this. Only after that email, and subsequent events, did the WVA Manager say he wasn't going to turn over the donkeys to the DLNR. In fact, the Manager had not spoken to the DLNR. Further, there would have been no ranchers come forward with adoption offers if it had not been in the newspaper. Thank you for noting this clarification of the series of events.
The Waikoloa Nigtingales are covered on the front page of today's West Hawaii Today. The WVA manager says no one wants to kill a single donkey. I thank everyone who has contacted the Board and the Manager, and, hope you will let them know of your ongoing interest over the coming weeks and months. A gentle reminder to keep it respectful, please.
An incorrect statement is made in the article: "Since the Waikoloa Village Association announced at its board meeting its plans to build a corral, rumors have run rampant, erroneously stating that the association wants to euthanize the donkeys or give them to someone -- including DLNR -- who will, Whillock said." The correct situation is since the the WVA Manager announced it had arranged to turn over donkeys to the DLNR, and that it didn't know exactly where the donkeys would go after that, that truth was emailed by me to friends and acquaintances in Waikoloa. Lots of people at the meeting heard this. Only after that email, and subsequent events, did the WVA Manager say he wasn't going to turn over the donkeys to the DLNR. In fact, the Manager had not spoken to the DLNR. Further, there would have been no ranchers come forward with adoption offers if it had not been in the newspaper. Thank you for noting this clarification of the series of events.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
WVA Talk Story Cancelled
The WVA has decided to cancel the talk story for members on November 18th. Our manager demanded I put all the worms back in the can today or he would cancel the talk story.
You may click the image below to see the original invitation to "talk donkeys."
You may click the image below to see the original invitation to "talk donkeys."
UPDATE ON WORRISOME NEWS
This is turning into a more hopeful situation every day. People are becoming aware that an "urgent" problem does not require a "drastic" solution. Actually, we are "re"turning to a hopeful situation.
DLNR has no plans to kill donkeys, nor do they have funds to do so. They just plain don't like the idea of it, either. They are DONKEYS. (Update: There were a lot of people, or perhaps one or two really loud ones, who think the DLNR should eradicate donkeys, hence Cindy Evans was been approached to make legislation, but did notinclude funding. DLNR testified against it. So did Malama Waikoloa Nightingales.)
We have the forces of the US Humane Society.
We'll get an update on the number of accidents involving donkeys on Waikoloa Road from the Hawaii County PD at the next South Kohala Traffic Safety Committee (SKTSC) meeting on November 10, 4 PM in Waimea.
DLNR has no plans to kill donkeys, nor do they have funds to do so. They just plain don't like the idea of it, either. They are DONKEYS. (Update: There were a lot of people, or perhaps one or two really loud ones, who think the DLNR should eradicate donkeys, hence Cindy Evans was been approached to make legislation, but did notinclude funding. DLNR testified against it. So did Malama Waikoloa Nightingales.)
We have the forces of the US Humane Society.
We'll get an update on the number of accidents involving donkeys on Waikoloa Road from the Hawaii County PD at the next South Kohala Traffic Safety Committee (SKTSC) meeting on November 10, 4 PM in Waimea.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Action Request
A good deal of community networking is going on right now. This is SUPER GOOD NEWS!
We are asking YOU to contact Board members and voice your concern. Ask that plans to capture and turn animals over to the DLNR be suspended until there is a full and complete effort made to prevent harm to the donkeys. You'll find emails and phones for members of the WVA Board at WVA Board Contacts
Please, when contacting the WVA, remember Board members are community leaders and volunteers who work hard and have good intentions.
MAHALO TO ALL who have contacted us with their concerns and efforts on behalf of the donkeys. The immediate focus needs to be on having the Waikoloa Village Association halt plans to catch and turn over donkeys to State DLNR Wildlife Management.
Meanwhile, Malama Waikoloa Nightingales is working to make contact with someone at DLNR Wildlife Management to learn what they have been planning, as we do not know. The public has a right and a need to know and we will find out.
Long Term Donkey Population Management
We've had discussions here locally with two representatives of the US Humane Society (at a national level, not local.) One was their national Urban Wildlife Director. With the USHS we are exploring long term, humane methods of curtailing the growth of herds so it does not exceed the shrinking amount of grazing land available to them.
The details are complex and the costs high, but there is some possibility of getting something done to try to dramatically slow the growth of the herds. It is a long term project of major proportions.
Meanwhile, the USHS has recommended that after donkeys are lured to the corral by gentle means, the males be gelded before being released. (Previously, when donkeys were removed from the Hualalai resort area and moved to Waikoloa, they were not gelded.)
All of this has also been discussed with a large-animal vet here on the Island, so someone who is knowledgeable about equine matters is providing lots of expertise.
I'll revisit this subject in a future post.
The details are complex and the costs high, but there is some possibility of getting something done to try to dramatically slow the growth of the herds. It is a long term project of major proportions.
Meanwhile, the USHS has recommended that after donkeys are lured to the corral by gentle means, the males be gelded before being released. (Previously, when donkeys were removed from the Hualalai resort area and moved to Waikoloa, they were not gelded.)
All of this has also been discussed with a large-animal vet here on the Island, so someone who is knowledgeable about equine matters is providing lots of expertise.
I'll revisit this subject in a future post.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Troubling News
At the Waikoloa Village Association Board Meeting on October 27, the Board approved funds for building a fence and corrals to keep donkeys off the WVA golf course and to catch and remove the donkeys from in and around the Village. The problem is considered urgent and they are moving forward rapidly.
The Worrisome News
The WVA has arranged for the DLNR (Hawaii Division of Land and Natural Resources)to move the donkeys by some method, unknown to me, and to a location unknown to anyone. Details on the method of movement and the location are lacking. Answering my question of where the donkeys will be moved, the response was of the "Don't ask, you don't want to know" variety.
There is no reason to believe DLNR will do anything more than dispose of the donkeys, that is, kill them. The DLNR has never to our knowledge relocated any feral animals. They kill bothersome feral animals.
The DLNR does not publicly announce most of their plans to kill feral animals. Thus the public will not know.
This is not to say we don't want to work with the DLNR, we do.
We are working to get more information from both the DLNR and WVA. We have many concerns about the safety conditions in the corrals, in transportation safety and in euthanasia methods.
Regular readers will recall, the solution to keeping donkeys off Waikoloa Road are 1) Building a strong corral and luring the donkeys in with food, 2) moving donkeys, and 3) having a safe place to put them.
Malama Waikoloa Nightingales is recommending to the WVA Board that the corrals be built close to WVA open space above the Village. We recommend the jacks (male donkeys) be gelded before release. From there, donkeys could be moved to fenced WVA open space above the Village. This option has been discussed with the WVA before, but is not now under consideration. MLM is also asking the Board to state that no donkeys will be killed.
The Worrisome News
The WVA has arranged for the DLNR (Hawaii Division of Land and Natural Resources)to move the donkeys by some method, unknown to me, and to a location unknown to anyone. Details on the method of movement and the location are lacking. Answering my question of where the donkeys will be moved, the response was of the "Don't ask, you don't want to know" variety.
There is no reason to believe DLNR will do anything more than dispose of the donkeys, that is, kill them. The DLNR has never to our knowledge relocated any feral animals. They kill bothersome feral animals.
The DLNR does not publicly announce most of their plans to kill feral animals. Thus the public will not know.
This is not to say we don't want to work with the DLNR, we do.
We are working to get more information from both the DLNR and WVA. We have many concerns about the safety conditions in the corrals, in transportation safety and in euthanasia methods.
Regular readers will recall, the solution to keeping donkeys off Waikoloa Road are 1) Building a strong corral and luring the donkeys in with food, 2) moving donkeys, and 3) having a safe place to put them.
Malama Waikoloa Nightingales is recommending to the WVA Board that the corrals be built close to WVA open space above the Village. We recommend the jacks (male donkeys) be gelded before release. From there, donkeys could be moved to fenced WVA open space above the Village. This option has been discussed with the WVA before, but is not now under consideration. MLM is also asking the Board to state that no donkeys will be killed.
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