I have been to Bonaire about 10 times, and each time I have appreciated not only the marine resources and the pristine reefs but also the unique flora and fauna of the island, like iguanas, flamingos, parrots, and the wild donkeys. Now, it seems as if a couple of politicians have a plan to exterminate the wild donkeys because of the number of automobile collisions with donkeys, including one recent human death. although birth control for the donkeys might need to be addressed, the problem also lies with the citizens who speed around the island as if they were on an expressway in Chicago. In fact, I personally have witnessed a speeding bonairean kill a dog and not even look back; then on another vacation I saw another speeding Bonairean run over a flamingo on the side of the road. So the fault is not just the donkeys; it is also a big human problem! And for an island that markets itself as environmentally progressive and proud of its "natural" resources, killing off all the wild donkeys all at once, or slowly through running them over or abusing them, is unenlightened and inhumane. Perhaps a public relations and education campaign needs to be mounted so that Bonairean citizens will learn how to live more respectfully with the donkeys and stop running them over and abusing them!!! Most of the tourists that come to Bonaire come for the natural beauty; most of them are also environmentally sensitive, so a plan to kill off the donkeys, instead of preserving and caring for them, is a definite mistake for the government and the tourism industry. I hope that if you feel similarly that you will contact government and tourism officials on Bonaire to protest this proposal and to support Marina Melis' work of rescuing, caring, and preserving the donkeys at The Donkey Sanctuary. thank you, pauline from champaign, Illinois

Pauline, we get the point

Look at the "Everything Else Bonaire" section, where you first posted this. You got lots of reactions.

Joanna, I'll translate parts of it and post it over in the thread that's running in Everthing Else Bonaire...

Thank you (Dank je), Marc. Joanna

Greetings Bonaire!

Lois and I just returned this morning from our thirteeth trip to Bonaire. We were shocked to here about proposed plans to relocate,or even kill, the donkeys of Bonaire! Donkeys are part of the cultural heratige, the landscape, the ambiance of Bonaire. Killing the donkeys in Bonaire would be like killing the bald eagles in the U.S. The donkeys of Bonaire are a national treasure, not a pain in the ass (pun intended)!

Of all the places we have visited, the people of Bonaire are the kindest and most gracious we have met. We are certain that the people of Bonaire will cherish their anstestors beasts of burden and protect them.

Mike Schuster

No! No! Not again! Aaarrghhh...

Marc,

Who goes first.... me or you??

I think for once, I'll try my hand on one of those guns of yours...

Given the donkey topic again, or a pistol with one bullet in it..... I'll take the pistol & bullet thank you!

Please, let's just refer Edward Michael Schuster Jr (welcome, EMSJr) to the very, very lengthy discussion of this topic in the other thread...isn't it in Everything Else? (EMSJr, the original poster posted the same note in two BT topics...)

In the first place, everybody a Happy New Year.
I don't understand why some of you don't want to talk about the donkeys on Bonaire anymore, is this topic not in the first place started about the killing of these animals? Does somebody know how the situation of the donkeys is at the moment? Has somebody still contact with Marina Melis?. Joanna

I saw Marina a couple of weeks ago at the sanctuary and she was doing fine. No donkey assassinations going on here either. Life goes on as it had before the whole non-"crisis".

Jake

The Sanctuary is also in the process of leasing additional land (200 acres) to house the remaining Island donkeys. If you've not visited yet, it's an amazing place.

Hallo all of you, i received this from Donkey's Help Bonaire and want to share ir with you all. Greetings, Joanna

Donkey's Help fondswerving ezels.eml (36.3 k)

Joanna,
Any chance of getting it translated to english?