Animal Nepal Donkey Sanctuary Dukuchhap

In Partnership with

2019 Sponsorship Update

February 2020

For BB, Bruna, Chandani, Fudge, Honey, Jackie, Krishna, Kusha, Lava, Maneka, Markhu, Mox, Noby, Pappu, Paulie, Puffin, Samir, Sangit, Shakti, Star and Stella

Annual sponsorship update 2019 Animal Nepal Dukuchhap Donkey Sanctuary

Supported by

2019 in summary

2019 was big year for Animal Nepal as this marked our 10 years as an NGO, which we celebrated through a photo exhibition chronicling our decade of work in the field of in Nepal. This also marked the year when we finally bade farewell to Godawari and moved our donkey sanctuary to Dukuchhap, Lalitpur, which is 1.5 acres of land belonging to Animal Nepal. Although it was somewhat sad to leave Godawari after ten long years, it was exciting to finally have our own space, which would truly become a forever home for our rescued residents. The move itself was pretty uneventful and our equines were very good with the journey from Godawari to Dukuchhap but it was pretty tough for our resident dogs Bunu and Lucky who got very car sick! They have since all settled in very well and are enjoying the new bigger space. The sanctuary is still in the process of being built, the most crucial part being the wall, which is under construction with the help of our partners and individual sponsors. The building of the wall is critical to ensure the safety of our animals and our property. In 2019, we also gained 4 new residents – a mule, a horse and two goats, but sadly we also had to say goodbye to some family members. Our dogs Lucky and Bunu had to be temporarily transferred to our dog treatment centre while we complete the building of the wall, and we lost our duck Bahan. The four new residents came to us at different times. They have all settled in well and established friendships with other residents. The two goats are Chhori (daughter) and Aasha (Hope). Chhori is almost a year old and she was bought by a family to be sacrificed for the annual feast in October but they decided to spare her life before the sacrifice. Similarly, Chhori was rescued by a group of animal rights activists from the Gadhimai festival which took place in December 2019, where every 5 years, thousands of animals are sacrificed. None of our residents faced major health issues in 2019. BB and Maneka required the most care, mostly due to their advanced age. Our team was assisted by the final year vet students from the Himalayan College of Agriculture and Technology (HICAST) who carry out an internship with Animal Nepal to learn about equine welfare and management. Sadly, since writing this report, BB - one of our oldest donkeys - passed away from natural causes on 27 January 2020. She was buried inside our land and will be missed sorely, especially by her friend Maneka and newly made friend Jackie. Another exciting event that took place in 2019 was that we were invited to feature in a Thai documentary named Spirit of Asia and the crew came to film at the sanctuary in April. All our staff were very excited about this and made sure that our residents were all looking their best prior to filming! We are able to continue this much needed service for animals in need with help from Animal Aid Abroad and individual sponsors. The sanctuary is currently home to 20 equines and 3 goats. They don’t always get along with one another, but nevertheless it is still one big happy family.

BB

BB was one of our older donkeys, being almost 20 years old. At the time of writing this report, BB sadly had died from natural causes on 27 January 2020. BB had been facing health issues since 2018, mostly due to her advanced age. She was well looked after by our staff and received proper care and treatment until her last breath. BB was best friends with Naina (whom we lost in 2018) and Maneka who will really miss her! Recently, BB had also made friends with our newly rescued mule Jackie, who will also miss her gentle company. BB with her best friends Maneka and Jackie.

Previously sponsored by: 1. Emmanuel Nulty, WA ($100) 2. Chamindri Samarakoon, QLD ($100) 3. Linda Tostevin, WA ($100) 4. Sandersons Body Repairs, QLD ($100) 5. Dr Kimberley Hill, NSW ($100) 6. Sally McMillan, TAS ($100)

Bruna

Bruna is a sweet natured, shy, female donkey who is almost 10 years old. She was pregnant and abandoned when Animal Nepal found her in Lalitpur. Shortly after her rescue, Bruna gave birth to a foal whom we named Suraj, but sadly he passed away shortly after. Bruna suffers from a slight limp but it does not get in the way of her daily activities. She particularly enjoys cabbage and carrots and is very particular about not sharing her meal with the other residents. Bruna enjoys grazing and rolling around in the mud with her friends. She is very fond of our para-vet Santosh and caretaker Santa Bahadur, so they are the only ones she allows to groom her.

Currently sponsored by: 1. Melanie Baumanis, WA ($100) 2. Heidi Kaltenbrunn, WA ($100) 3. Ella Milanko, QLD ($100) 4. Suse Petersen, Switzeland ($100) 5. Sasha Poli, WA ($100) 6. Nancy Warren, QLD ($100) Chandani

Chandani is a beautiful female donkey who was born in our sanctuary in July 2014 to Puffin. She is our youngest donkey and luckily her childish mischief is tolerated with good humour by the older equines. Unlike most of our other residents, Chandani has never faced any hardship and has always been far removed from the harsh realities of the life of most equines in Nepal. Strangely, Chandani has developed a fondness for liver tonic and she loves taking it given the chance! Chandani is also quite greedy when it comes to her food and tends to eat rather quickly. Chandani used to get along famously with one of our sanctuary dogs Lucky, but sadly we have since lost Lucky.

Currently sponsored by: Animal Aid Abroad Fudge

Fudge is a male donkey and is about 12 years old. Prior to coming to our sanctuary, Fudge used to live with a Swiss lady called Pauline with some of the other equines at the sanctuary. He came to the sanctuary when Pauline decided to leave Nepal after the 2015 earthquake. Fudge is best friends with our donkey Krishna and they are both extremely friendly and well behaved. Fudge gets really excited about going to the fields and starts sprinting as soon as he is let out of the stables. Fudge is our vet Dr Atish’s favourite!

Currently sponsored by: 1. Melanie Baumanis, WA ($100) 2. Russell Dean, ACT ($100) 3. Joy Johnson, NSW ($100) 4. Heidi Kaltenbrunn,WA ($100) 5. Alanna Knight, SA ($100) 6. Stanley Stork, VIC ($100) Honey

Honey is a female horse born at the sanctuary in 2016 to Hella who has sadly passed on. Honey is very friendly, active and healthy and loves to run around the sanctuary with her friend Star who was also born at the sanctuary. They are just 1 month apart in age. Honey really dislikes having her hooves trimmed and it can take up to 4 or 5 people to restrain her during grooming.

Currently solely sponsored by: 1. Nicholas Duncan, WA ($600)

Jackie

Jackie is a male mule rescued from Bungamati brick kiln in Lalitpur in May 2019. Jackie was being put to work carrying bricks despite having a handicap caused by an old untreated fracture on his right hind leg which was causing him considerable difficulties. Our staff spoke to Jackie’s owner on several occasions to persuade him to stop making him work, but as he failed to abide by our advice, the decision was made to bring Jackie to the sanctuary. Although initially shy, Jackie made friends with our older residents BB and Maneka. He was very emaciated when he first came to the sanctuary, but within a couple of months he was completely transformed and has now become a very handsome mule. Jackie is in good health but his injured leg tends to get infected during the rainy season and this is managed by our staff.

Currently sponsored by: 1. Elaine Goode,WA ($100) 2. Lorraine Jacobs WA, ($100) 3. Jeani, NSW ($100) 4. Roz Robinson, WA ($100) 5. Linda Tostevin, WA ($100) 6. Janet Zajicek,VIC ($100) Krishna

Krishna is a long haired male donkey who is like a very large puppy. He is very friendly and gentle around people and loves being cuddled. He was also part of the group of equines that lived with Pauline and came to the sanctuary in 2015. Krishna is about 12 years old but he is a big baby at heart. Krishna is very easy to groom and he gets along well with all our staff. He is always nudging them if they are busy with other equines. Being one of our friendliest and most well-behaved donkeys, Krishna and his friend Fudge have represented Animal Nepal at various animal welfare events where they are always the star attractions.

Currently sponsored by: 1. Caroline Box, NSW ($100) 2. Jessica Mitchell, WA ($100) 3. Kristine Short, NSW ($100) 4. Linda Tostevin, WA ($100) 5. Lee Whylie, NSW ($100) 6. Georgina Wigley, WA ($100

Lava and Kusha

Lava and Kusha are a miniature donkey duo named after the twin sons of Hindu deities Rama and Sita. They are about 17 years old and were both abandoned by their owner at Jyoti brick kiln in Lalitpur. Both have also had their ears cut off, which used to be a common practice among equine owners, who believed that doing so would prevent the donkeys from catching tetanus. Although they look very similar, they have very different personalities. Kusha is friendly and loves meeting people and being groomed. Lava doesn’t like being around people so much and every time we try to take his photo, he runs away. This can be quite frustrating! Lava and Kusha are very healthy and do not have any health issues. They love spending time with each other and rolling on the ground!

Kusha currently sponsored by: 1. Anonymous, VIC ($100) 2. Michelle Hazelwood, WA ($100) 3. Eleanor Hubble, WA ($100) 4. Michael and Sheila Medlar, UK ($100) 5. Sandersons Body Repairs, QLD ($100)

Lava currently sponsored by: 1. Kara Densby, NSW ($100) 2. Elaine Goode, WA ($100) 3. Jessica Jones, WA ($100) 4. Kate MacDonald, NZ ($100) 5. Linda Mortimore, WA ($100) 6. Lana Williams, NSW ($100)

Markhu

Markhu is a male horse rescued in 2015 from Bhaktapur. He is about 12 years old. At the time of rescue, Markhu had overgrown hooves and a severe limp. Since coming to the sanctuary, Markhu has made a full recovery and really enjoys running around in the fields. Markhu is very healthy and he thoroughly enjoys being groomed. Markhu is generally very friendly but when he is upset, he tends to kick with both his front and back legs. He also bites when he is over-excited. Markhu has a very big appetite and loves getting treats!

Currently sponsored by: 1. Carol Pettit,WA ($100) 2. Roz Robinson, WA ($100) 3. Sandersons Body Repairs, QLD ($100) 4. Linda Tostevin, WA ($100) 5. Lisa Owens Viani, USA ($100)

Maneka

Maneka is our oldest donkey, being almost 20 years old. She was rescued from a brick kiln in Lalitpur. At the time, her right hind leg was dislocated, which has caused chronic issues to her leg. Even though the normal lifespan of a donkey is between 25-30 years old, because most of our donkeys faced a lot of hardship working in kilns, they tend to have more health issues. Maneka walks with difficulty and needs support when getting up. As she spends much of her time sleeping on the same side, she tends to get sores easily. These are tended to by our vet team. Now that she has lost her best friend BB, she tends to keep to herself, but sometimes she can be found quietly grazing next to Jackie.

Currently sponsored by: 1. Yvonne Boswarva, WA ($100) 2. Connie Kokkinis, VIC ($100) 2. Keith Irving, WA ($100) 3. Beth Roffe, NSW ($100) 4. Paul Sillato, NSW ($100) 5. Janet Zajicek, VIC ($100) Mox

Mox is a male mule rescued in 2015 from Bhaktapur. At the time of rescue, he was in a very poor condition, with a fracture of the joint and nerve paralysis. He also had anal prolapse and was covered in wounds. After going through a long period of treatment, Mox’s condition improved gradually and now he is one of the strongest and healthiest animals at the sanctuary. He also has a reputation for being a bit naughty and some staff members and visitors are sometimes wary around him. He has however calmed down a lot since he was castrated. Mox really dislikes grooming, especially having his hooves cleaned. The staff have to use a lot of bribery methods to groom him. It’s a good thing that Mox tends to agree to anything in exchange for some food! Mox likes to be the alpha male of his little group of horses and mules consisting of Shakti, Noby, Star and Honey. He is especially protective of Shakti.

Currently sponsored by: 1. Diane Burnett, WA ($100) 2. Rebecca Daly, NSW ($100) 3. Rosemary Fry, VIC ($100) 4. Carol Morgan, WA ($100) 5. Lisa Owens, USA ($100) 6. Jon Wallhouse, UK ($100) Noby

Noby is an 11 year old male horse who is part of the group of equines that came from Pauline. Noby is very handsome and is fussy about whom he chooses to be friends with. Noby enjoys being groomed but he doesn’t like his face being touched. Noby does not have any major health issues and likes to spend his time with Stella, Shakti and Mox.

Currently sponsored by: 1. Karen Bevilaqua, WA ($100) 2. Ruth Farre, NSW ($100) 3. Lesley Murdoch, WA ($100) 4. Sasha Poli, WA ($100) 5. Dylan Storey, WA ($100) 6. Linda Tostevin, WA ($100)

Pappu

Pappu is a female mule who came to our sanctuary in 2015. She was brought in by her owner after she faced difficulties carrying bricks at the kiln due to a fetlock joint. Pappu is about 11 years old. Since coming to the sanctuary, Pappu has regained her health, she eats well and enjoys grazing with her friends. Pappu can at times be a little moody and has been known to surprise our medical team with her infamous ‘Bruce Lee kicks’! At times Pappu also tends to get into fights with Mox as they don’t like each other much, but most of the time they keep out of each other’s way.

Currently sponsored by: 1. Carol Anderson, VIC ($100) 2. Dr Kimberley Hill, NSW ($100) 3. Connie Kokkinis, VIC ($100) 4. Sally McMillan, TAS ($100) 5. Sandersons Body Repairs, QLD ($100)

Paulie

Paulie is an old female horse who was abandoned by her owner in Bhaktapur. She was rescued by our team in 2019. She had been fending for herself without any proper food or shelter. She has a missing eye, lameness, alopecia and some minor wounds. After her rescue, Paulie was kept in isolation at our dog treatment centre for 21 days to ensure she did not carry any communicable diseases. After the all-, she moved to the sanctuary in November. Since coming to the sanctuary, Paulie has responded really well to treatment and she is now healthy. Paulie doesn’t like it when people or other animals come to the side of her missing eye and she cannot see them. Other than that, she is good natured and gets along well with Markhu. Sometimes she also gets into fights with Mox, but as mentioned earlier, Mox is the naughtiest of our equines and he gets into little fights with most of the mules and horses.

Currently sponsored by: 1. Anonymous, SA ($200) 2. Yvonne Boswarva,WA ($100) 3. Kristine Edwards, NSW ($100) 4. Paul Elkington, WA ($100) 5. Carol Hudson, WA ($100) Puffin

Puffin is a female donkey rescued in 2012 from Lele, Lalitpur. She is about 13 years old. Puffin gave birth to her daughter, Chandani, in 2014, and mother and daughter used to be inseparable. But now that Chandani is an adult, they don’t spend as much time together. Puffin is very playful, but can be shy around new people. She is prone to fungal infections, which is routinely managed by our vets. Puffin loves carrots and enjoys being groomed. She is particularly good with our young visitors.

Currently sponsored by: 1. Tracey Bell, NZ ($100) 2. Susan Greenwood, QLD ($100) 3. Connie Kokkinis, VIC ($100) 4. Suzanne & Bradley Lantzke, WA ($100) 5. Chamindri Samarakoon, QLD ($100) 6. Zoe & Anthony Smigielski,WA ($100)

Samir

Samir is a 15 year old female donkey who was rescued in 2013 from Bolbom brick kiln in Lalitpur. She was abandoned by her owner. At the time of rescue, she had skin disease and was emaciated. Samir has fully recovered and enjoys very good health now. Samir’s personality is very similar to that of a dog. Whenever people come to the donkey enclosure, Samir is the first to greet them and she insists on being stroked. If she doesn’t get enough attention, she has a habit of nibbling at people, and if you’re not careful, you will find Samir’s head halfway inside your handbag. Even though Samir likes the company of people, she doesn’t like being groomed, so it is always a bit of a challenge for our para-vets, especially when having her hooves trimmed.

Currently sponsored by: 1. Anonymous, SA, ($100 2. Nicholas Duncan, WA ($100) 3. Elaine Goode, WA ($100) 4. Gillian Houghton, NSW ($100) 5. Sally McMillan, TAS ($100) 6. Shirley Patrick, WA ($100) Sangit

Sangit is a male donkey rescued from Santaneshwor brick kiln in Lalitpur. He is about 10 years old. At the time of rescue, he was emaciated and very weak. He made a full recovery and since then he has not faced any health issues. Sangit is very mild mannered and gets along well with other donkeys. He is very fond of our para-vet Tara. Sangit has a very healthy appetite and especially enjoys munching on cabbage.

Currently sponsored by: 1. Carly Blitz, WA ($100) 2. Caroline Box, NSW ($100) 3. Sharyn McCarthy, NSW ($100) 4. Michael & Sheila Medlar, UK ($100) 5. Emmanuel Nulty, WA ($100) 6. Lana Williams, NSW ($100)

Shakti

Shakti is a beautiful female horse who is about 12 years old. She is very greedy when it comes to her food and tends to get snappy when other animals come near her food. Shakti is also part of the group that came from Pauline. She is very lively and tends to jump around instead of trotting! As she loves her food so much, she tends to put on weight easily so she has to be frequently put on a diet. Shakti is best friends with Mox and they are always together.

Currently sponsored by: 1. Anonymous,SA ($100) 2. Tim Boyce, NSW ($100) 3. Jacqueline Dobson, QLD ($100) 4. Elaine Goode, WA ($100) 5. Sandersons Body Repairs, QLD ($100)

Star

Star is a female horse who was born to Shakti in 2016. Star is very friendly, active and healthy and likes to be around her mother and her friend, Honey. Star doesn’t like being groomed or having her hooves trimmed. She was named Star due to a star shaped pattern on her forehead!

Currently sponsored by: Animal Aid Abroad

Stella

Stella is a female mule who was abandoned by her owner at a brick kiln in Satungal, . At the time of rescue, Stella was suffering from respiratory issues and anaplasmosis. She also had a damaged right eye which was regularly prone to infection. In 2019, the team made the decision to remove her eye and close the socket surgically. The operation was carried out by our vets, Dr Atish Yadav and Dr Sajana Thapa. Following the surgery, Stella hasn’t had any major issues with her eye. Stella is one of our friendliest mules and she is very fond of our caretakers, Santa Bahadur and Masini.

Currently sponsored by: 1. Tim Boyce, NSW ($100) 2. Elaine Goode, WA ($100) 3. Keith Irving, WA ($100) 4. Katy Jaksic, WA ($100) 5. Meredith Williams, WA ($100) 6. Gypsy Wulff, WA ($100)

Thank you again for your compassion and support of these very special equines in Nepal.

From All of us at Animal Aid Abroad and Animal Nepal.