A free clinic for donkeys, vital to Ethiopia's economy

ADDIS ABABA - At a clinic in Ethiopia's capital, a donkey is complaining as a vet tries to trim his nails.

Ethiopia is thought to have the most donkeys in the world - one in five of the global total, according to the United Nations - and they form a vital part of the economy.

So the Donkey Sanctuary, run by a British charity that operates around the world, has its work cut out at its free clinic near Merkato, Addis Ababa's vast open-air market.

On a recent visit by AFP, several dozen donkeys were gathered in pens, some agitated and kicking their feet, while others eagerly pounced on food.

Caregivers and veterinarians were taking turns treating injuries, colic and eye problems.

Guluma Bayi, 38, walked more than an hour and a half with his two donkeys to reach the clinic.

"It has been three weeks since my donkeys became sick," he told AFP. "One has a leg problem and the other has a stomach issue."

Like the others making the trip, Guluma relies heavily on his donkeys to make a living. He uses them to transport jerrycans of water to sell to his fellow villagers.

"After they became ill, I couldn't buy bread for my children," he said. "I begged a guy to bring me here."

After successful treatment, Guluma was able to go home with both donkeys.

‘A DONKEY YOURSELF'

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation says Ethiopia had some nine million donkeys as of 2018.

They play a major economic role in the East African country of around 130 million people, ploughing fields and transporting goods, offering a cheaper alternative to vehicles at a time when petrol prices have risen sharply.

"There is a proverb in Ethiopia: if you don't have a donkey, you are a donkey yourself," said Tesfaye Megra, project coordinator for the Donkey Sanctuary, laughing.

The charity operates in several regions across the country and opened its Addis Ababa centre in 2007.

"They are invaluable animals... and they are suffering while they are providing different services to the community," said Tesfaye.

The daily life of donkeys is no picnic.

Urban sprawl in the Ethiopian capital has made green spaces increasingly scarce.

The loads they carry can be heavy, and many are beaten and badly treated.

Another visitor to the clinic, Chane Baye, said he used his two donkeys to carry sacks filled with grain for clients across the city.

They allow him to earn between 200 and 400 birr per day (around $1.50 to $3) - not bad in a country where a third of the population lives below the World Bank's poverty line of $2.15 per day.

The 61-year-old comes roughly every three months to have his donkeys checked - "whenever they start limping or have a stomach problem," he said.

"Before this clinic, we used traditional ways to treat them," he added, referring in particular to nails roughly removed from the animals' legs with a knife.

He is pleased his donkeys now get professional treatment for wounds and infections.

DIGESTIVE PROBLEMS

Derege Tsegay, a vet at the sanctuary, performs a routine but unsavoury operation - inserting his gloved-up arm deep into a struggling donkey's rectum.

Derege pulls out the large chunk of feces that had accumulated in the animal's stomach.

"It happens often," he said.

A shortage of food in the city means donkeys eat whatever they find, often including plastic which can block their digestive system.

It's not always pleasant, but he knows how important the work can be for local people.

"I am proud of what I am doing... because I am trying to solve the problem of so many owners that rely on their donkeys," he said with a smile.