Aruban Donkey Sanctuary -— The happy trails of Aruba’s legendary donkeys

Down a dusty road on the north side of the island, not far from Arikok National Park and the Ayo rock formation, is the Aruban Donkey Sanctuary. Established in 1997, it is home to 62 of Aruba’s wild donkeys.

On a recent clean up day at the Sanctuary, most of the donkeys were corralled. As a tour bus full of visitors arrived, the donkeys greeted them in a concerto of braying, protesting vehemently about not being out and about. Picasso, one of the most forthcoming and vocal donkeys in the Sanctuary, moved to the front of the pack to accept a carrot from a little girl.

"They like to help, so we have to keep them penned up or they will be full of paint!", said Mimi Medina.
She and numerous other volunteers toil arduously to ensure that the Aruban donkey remains part of the country’s culture.

Brought by the Spanish, Donkeys have been part of Aruba’s landscape for over 500 years. Just thirty years ago, donkeys were part of the family and were loved just as much as the family dog. It was common for each Aruban household to own a donkey for transportation and for carrying goods. With the advent of cars and changing family life, fewer Arubans wanted or needed donkeys.

That, combined with a rare disease in the 70’s, the donkey population was nearly wiped out. In recent years, wild donkeys have been considered a nuisance, creating traffic accidents and munching on manicured gardens.

The Aruban Donkey Sanctuary was created by Ramon Boekhoudt. It saddened him to see the population being decimated by development and modernization. The Sanctuary is located on a large parcel of land, graciously "leased for $1" by a local family to the organization.

Contrary to popular belief, donkeys are very intelligent, social animals. Many of the inhabitants of the Sanctuary were former pets whose aging owners could no longer care for them. Others were brought because they were injured or because they had some genetic anomaly that made it difficult for them to live in the wild. A local veterinarian works with the Sanctuary to diagnose and treat illnesses.
Each donkey has its own name and is known by its antics. The volunteers can happily regale each one of the donkey’s stories. Additionally, a student, an intern from Holland, recently created a view book, cataloguing each animal and the story of how it came to the Sanctuary.

They are definitely individual characters. They love carrots and many will easily befriend anyone who wants to give them their favorite treat. Some may even follow you around the Sanctuary. "Feeding time is about 10:30 a.m. Even when they have just eaten, they pretend that they are starving," said Desiree, a frequent and dedicated volunteer.

The Sanctuary does not want to place all of Aruba’s wild donkeys in captivity, but it does try to accommodate those who come. Concerned about a growing population and inbreeding, all male donkeys in the sanctuary are castrated to help control the population. Amusingly, because the females are fertile, wild donkeys jump into the Sanctuary to mate and then stay because of the ample supply of food and water.

A limited number of donkeys still remain in the wild. The roaming wild donkeys can usually be spotted in groups of 2-16 animals. One group of 11 can usually be found ambling along in the Natural Bridge/Alto Vista area. Another small group stays mainly near the "Tunnel of Love" neighborhood.
It currently costs about $960 per year to care for each donkey at the Sanctuary. To help with expenses, an "Adopt a Donkey" program was started. For $15 dollars a month, $180 per year, visitors can adopt a donkey, or as many as they wish. All of the money goes to the care and feeding of the animals. Because of the cost, several individuals or families may adopt the same donkey. Companies and schools can also participate, and many currently do.

For more information please visit the Donkey Sanctuary site at: www.arubandonkey.org.