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Local Items: Donkey Safari Park?
Bonaire Talk: Local Items: Archives: Archives 2001- 2004: Archives - 2003-05-01 to 2004-06-30: Donkey Safari Park?
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cynde (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #8237) on Tuesday, August 19, 2003 - 7:27 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I just pinched this off the D2D board...is this true???

"The Milieu Affairs panel advice to put all the donkeys in the safari park apparently has been adopted. Cost of fencing=$50,000 US."

The person who posted it is reliable, so I didn't think it was a joke...but maybe it was!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Anthony Cooper (BonaireTalker - Post #35) on Tuesday, August 19, 2003 - 9:21 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Cynde - DocV does seem to be well wired and as a journalist (arguably, I guess, but he does write a regular column for Rodale's) I suppose he has some responsibility for accuracy. Would love to know his source. How about some word from the on-island folks. What are the arguments/sentiments...pro and con? Inquiring minds want to know.

dsao
coop

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kate Hickson (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #166) on Wednesday, August 20, 2003 - 3:24 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I spoke to Marina (who runs the donkey sanctuary) back in March. She told me that that was the plan. They will have MANY acres to roam free, not be abused, starve, or be hit by cars. The males will be sterilized (as the current population is somewhat inbred) and they will buy frozen sperm for future generations. You may also purchase a number of hectares in your name (or in memory of someone) for something around $3,000.00 (??) as a means of buying up more land for the sanctuary. Anyone have more updated details?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cynde (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #8247) on Wednesday, August 20, 2003 - 4:00 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Kate, that is great news! Thank you for posting this!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Marc @ CrystalVisions (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1165) on Thursday, August 21, 2003 - 10:11 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Kate, as you tell it, that's still the plan.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ann Phelan (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1205) on Thursday, August 21, 2003 - 4:45 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Yup, it's in Bonaire Reporter today so check it out..Sperm banks for Donkey's? Now there is a business to get into...

Can someone tell me in acres what we are looking at for space and how do donkeys live in a close community? Wonder if the Rincon donkeys will get along with the Belnem ones??

:-)

Positive thoughts on a HUGE endeavor!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By spongebob (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1112) on Thursday, August 21, 2003 - 5:13 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

donkey sperm bank;)

(i should ask my supervisor if he wishes to contribute)





 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By C. Kritagent (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #116) on Thursday, August 21, 2003 - 9:21 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Wonderful news... BUT where is all this money going to come from ??? and when. Who is going to purchase the land needed to support 300 plus donkeys. Who is going to pay for Vet services, NONE of this is free. Marina's offering of $3000.00 to "purchase" a donkey is a great idea, few people realize how much she has given up to support these animals and how much resistance she has encountered from the Goverment.

Ask her sometime how much "free" food costs. The Goverment will not allow donations of free food, they quickly and greedily impose duty and taxation. The old saying "No good deed goes unpunished" continues to hold true for the big hearted Marina.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Pauline Kayes (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #15) on Friday, August 22, 2003 - 12:50 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Yes, this plan was approved by the commission appointed to investigate the donkey problem on Bonaire. Some land has already been purchased but funds and workers for the fencing promised by the government need to be forthcoming so that the land can be fenced in and donkeys, especially mothers and babies, can be brought in to be protected. In the past four weeks alone, Marina has dealt with donkeys killed on the roads, a baby donkey attacked by dogs who were provoked by humans to do so, and several donkeys being abused by other humans. So, the sooner fencing can be purchased and put up, the fewer donkeys will be left to be abused, injured, and killed. I am sure Marina will welcome any donations to make this possible. In addition, if you are on the island, she would also appreciate physical help on the sanctuary itself.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cynde (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #8264) on Friday, August 22, 2003 - 1:22 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Pauline, when Kelly and I were there, we were going to stop by the Sanctuary on our no dive day and donate some funds. Well, that hurricane came through and we tried to get to the sanctuary but the road was flooded. Is there a way to donate money from the states?

I had thought about this before, but what if the BT community got together and pooled money and donated some. That would be a nice chunk I am sure.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Pauline Kayes (BonaireTalker - Post #16) on Friday, August 22, 2003 - 5:54 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi Cynde, That would be a great idea! And it would really help the situation as every time a donkey is injured Marina is taking the responsibility to care for it, which is taking a toll on her physically, emotionally, and financially.

But Bonaire is lucky to have such a wonderful woman with a big heart to preserve one of their natural heritage treasures (although I am sure some don't see the donkeys that way). Since I am new to the Bonaire talkers, I would not know how to organize such a campaign to raise funds to buy the land, etc. Would you know how to do this or would others know?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cynde (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #8271) on Friday, August 22, 2003 - 6:19 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Pauline, I will get the campaign going:-)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Sarah (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1948) on Sunday, August 24, 2003 - 5:05 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Into Washington Slagbaai Park?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By jan van der List (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #1) on Tuesday, August 26, 2003 - 5:28 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

donkey problem is drivers problem

I cannot understand why it would be a good idea to put the donkeys in a safari park. Can you imagine this to be a tourist attraction. Why would I go to a zoo where they keep 300 lions?
Don't get me wrong. I know the people of the donkey sanctuary are doing a good job helping donkeys that need to be helped. I have been living on this island for 12 years now. What I see is tourists stopping their cars, feed the donkeys and take pictures of donkeys. They love it. This is probably the last place on earth where this is possible. And yes I know this feeding is probably the reason why some donkeys get killed in traffic.
In fact I hit one once. The lesson I learned was try to drive not so fast. We do not have a donkey problem we have a drivers problem. The solution is not going to be to put away the donkeys in a safari park. Educating people would be the (cheeper) solution. And what would be the next step ; put all the goats in a safari park and after that the iguanas??
Again I appreciate the work the people of the sanctuary are doing but I slowly get the feeling that this so called donkey problem is growing into a donkey business.
Leave the donkeys alone.


 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Pauline Kayes (BonaireTalker - Post #20) on Tuesday, August 26, 2003 - 5:45 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi jan, With all due respect, I agree that drivers are the problem, but Marina and others have try to educate about driving too fast and enforce the speed limit to no avail. (Some drivers who have hit donkeys have even asked Marina to pay for their damaged cars!) Still, at least once a week a donkey is injured or killed on the road. And then there is the problem of baby donkeys being taken from their mothers, abused, etc., which is a whole different problem not related to drivers. If you think taking care of sick and injured donkeys--feeding them and providing veterinary care--is a business, please ask Marina how much it costs to maintain one donkey for a year. I can assure you that she is not making money! And now there are 77 rescued donkeys at the sanctuary!

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Marc @ CrystalVisions (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1168) on Wednesday, August 27, 2003 - 4:44 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

The donkeys cause way more trouble than just traffic accidents. I'll leave it at that.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kate Hickson (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #169) on Thursday, August 28, 2003 - 1:09 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Marc-
No, don't leave it at that.......what do you mean? I am confused.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kitty @ CrystalVisions (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #272) on Thursday, August 28, 2003 - 8:32 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Kate, if you do a search on BonaireTalk on this subject, you'll get loooooong discussions solely dedicated to the donkeys... I guess that's why Marc left it at what he did....

And as before, I think I'll stay out of it :-)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By seb schulherr (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #857) on Thursday, August 28, 2003 - 11:45 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Kate, they are all mean drunks, and they'll do just about anything to get one of those straw hats with holes for their ears.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Pauline Kayes (BonaireTalker - Post #21) on Thursday, August 28, 2003 - 12:29 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi Marc, You suggest that the donkeys cause a whole lot of trouble on Bonaire. So what are your proposals for solving the problems? A Safari Park seems a humane solution for stopping all the donkey related problems. So, for those wanting to decrease donkey-related problems, supporting the Safari Park with money and volunteer time seems the right thing to do.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cynde (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #8341) on Thursday, August 28, 2003 - 12:44 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Pauline, take Marc and Kitty's advise and leave it at that. As Kitty stated, do a search and you will see LONG threads on the subject, both pros and cons. I say, at this point, the BT Donkey Adoption is a positive thing that those of us who want to help Marina and the donkey's can do is great...and I'll leave it at that:-)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Marc @ CrystalVisions (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1170) on Friday, August 29, 2003 - 11:07 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

The Safari park option is what I've always been in favour of, even in those looooooong threads :-). That, and neutering.
Can't volunteer though, I'm allergic to them (really)... and I hadn't even counted that as a problem ;-)

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave Goodwin (BonaireTalker - Post #29) on Saturday, August 30, 2003 - 12:03 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

When are they going to build an Iguana Safari Park?

I must have ran over 500 of those critters during our trip in July....... all sizes and shapes.

Poor little things. They kept running up to our truck begging for Pringles. How was I to avoid them??

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ann Phelan (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1210) on Saturday, August 30, 2003 - 10:48 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Mags and I went to the Sanctuary Wed. to visit. I truly am all over the place with this discussion. It's clear no matter what your view is, everyone has the best interest in mind for the donkeys.

I had a thought: Do ALL the donkeys need to be relocated? Can the donkeys living in the say Bolivia and "rural" areas stay put? I think if this endeavor occurs why not relocate the city dwellers..

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Carole Baker (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #2537) on Saturday, August 30, 2003 - 1:24 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Amen, Annie! We are having the same problems in overpopulated and overdeveloped New Jersey....it's the humans (the encroachers) vs the Bears. I'm rooting for the bears! They are setting up a big bear hunt soon to kill off 10,000....yes, 10,000 bears in the small, tiny state of New Jersey. A bit of overreacting?? Yes. Too many people in this area without a doubt. One of the main reasons we LOVE Bonaire is of its small popluation of humans and its supply of critters.... Such a refreshing change from our NJ area. I am voting for the donkeys. Joe and I support them every year by adopting one and it helps the others out, too. Go Donkeys! Carole

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave Goodwin (BonaireTalker - Post #31) on Saturday, August 30, 2003 - 10:31 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I'm betting that the bears are going to lose...... just a hunch.

 


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