Donkeys, our ‘beasts of burden’, are capable of carrying loads that are much higher than their own body weights, and can also traverse terrains inaccessible to other modes of transport. Their milk, believed to have medicinal value, is one of the most sought-after ingredients for certain cosmetic products. But the population of donkeys in Tamil Nadu is declining drastically, and the animals may even die out in T.N., if the current trend continues and no conservation efforts are taken, say experts.
“Mechanisation is the main reason behind the services of donkeys becoming redundant. For instance, washermen, who used to use the animal to carry soiled clothes to ponds/rivers and to then carry the laundered clothes back to customers’ homes, have now opted for motor vehicles,” said veterinarian S. Ganesh Kumar, who is studying the animals for his doctoral thesis, ‘Performance and Welfare Assessment of Donkeys in the Southern Agro Climatic Zone’.
As per a 2012 census there were 9,183 donkeys in Tamil Nadu but their population came down to 1,428 in 2019.
