AKI Grant for humane castration of equines

amaTrac uluntu's Grant Project supports humane castration of equines

With our grant to amaTrac uluntu for:

Castration of 28 working donkeys in the Tyhume Valley, Amathole Mountains, South Africa

amaTrac was able to:

• Humanely castrate 33 equines (9 horses and 24 donkeys) in the Eastern Cape, South Africa (5 more animals than they planned and budgeted for in their proposal!)

• Vaccinate all 33 equines against tetanus at least 2 weeks prior to the surgeries

• Provide lucerne for all castrated equines

Tetanus vaccination at least 2 weeks prior to castration

The castrations were done by four veterinarians (two state vets, Dr Ayla Newmarch, the Stutterheim State Vet and Dr Nyathela, the Fort Beaufort State Vet) and two Compulsory Community Service (CCS) Vets (Drs van Niekerk and Naidoo).

During an October clinic, Dr Nyathela is preparing for the castration

Dr Ayla castrated a horse during a November castration event

During a November castration event, Dr Nyathela castrated a donkey with Billy helping. CCS vets and Melanie on standby

Five volunteers from Hogsback, Billy and Gig Breytenbach, Kyle Stohr, Ciarra Vorster, and Melanie de Wit, assisted greatly with vaccinating the equines and during castration events. Assistance from the equine owners and volunteers from the villages was also invaluable.

During an October castration event, Melani and a para-vet helped a donkey to stand during recovery

Dumisa Jacobs and Michelle Griffith managed the grant project and participated in the work in the field. Dumisa contacted donkey and horse owners prior to the castration events and checked on their animals after they were castrated to make sure they were healing properly.

Why Humane Castration of Equines?

The donkey owners had requested amaTrac uluntu to assist them with castration of their donkeys for the following reasons:

·        Male donkeys fight in the breeding season (see picture below), which results in wounds (often serious) that prevent the donkeys from working.

·        Male donkeys often wander from the village looking for a mate. These donkeys may be stolen as they wander, including by people who sell them for the donkey skin trade.

·        Donkeys are usually castrated by a non-qualified vets or by non-professionals and without receiving tetanus vaccinations, anesthetic, or post operation antibiotics. People tie up and sit on the donkeys while the castration takes place. This is extremely inhumane, painful, and terrifying for the donkey.  

Injured donkey being treated and now on castration list along with his rival, who was also injured during the fight

amaTrac uluntu noted that the owners request for assistance to castrate their donkeys was indicative of how their work has helped the owners change their views about their donkeys and their welfare. Previously, the donkeys would have been worked with fight wounds, beaten if they fought in harness, and castrated by non-qualified people.

Results

Comments were made by owners and onlookers about how pain-free the castrations were for the animals as they did not scream or try to kick violently (which makes it a lot safer for the humans too!) They also commented how calm the animals were and seemingly with no pain, when they came out of the anesthesia.

All equines were moving around comfortably within a few hours and all survived, which helped convince people that castrations by veterinarians are more humane and survival rate is high compared to castrations by non-professionals with no anesthesia.

At all castration events, local people were invited to attend and witness humane castration.

Michelle told us that the AKI grant not only resulted in humane castration of 33 donkeys and horses, the castration events also "provided practical education for people from the targeted villages on castrations by veterinarians." Everyone who attended was convinced, and they agreed they would spread the word among donkey owners about the benefits of humane castration of equines by qualified vets and of amaTrac uluntu's assistance.

Two horses recovering after castration and two in the back awaiting castration at an amaTrac clinic in November

Melanie (back) on recovery duty. Owners and onlookers on holding the legs duty-at an amaTrac clinic in November

More about amaTrac uluntu

Our Objectives are that

1.      Working donkeys and their owners play an active role in providing sustainable humane traction services for village people to realise One Health.

2.      Village people in the Upper Tyhume Valley are capacitated with knowledge and skills to take ownership of restoring and protecting the natural environment that they rely on for ecosystem services.

3.      Village people in the Upper Tyhume Valley take control of local organic climate smart food production to ensure food sovereignty and security for people in the villages.

Key activities

·          Mobilize owners of working donkeys and communities to realize the benefits of donkey traction in rural areas to building community health, independence, resilience, and growth; environmental health and animal health.

·          Entrepreneurial skills training and mentoring for owners of working donkeys.

·          Environmental health, restoration, and protection education.

·          Training volunteer teams to establish and manage Agricultural Resource Hubs to provide organic food for the village people.

·          Monitor and evaluate the impacts and effects of interventions.