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.
In earlier days, donkeys were also used to carry river sand, and when there was a ban on sand mining, donkey owners faced harassment from the police and other authorities. Most donkey owners sold their animals then, in order to ensure they were not harassed, Mr. Kumar believes.
While some establishments, including a farm in Mukkudal in Tirunelveli district, keep the animals and sell their milk to pharmaceutical companies or local residents, who use it as a traditional medicine, these are few and far between.
“The lysozyme content in donkey milk is very high and is believed to be good for gut health. However, we need more research to establish its real effect on gut health,” said N. Kumaravelu, Dean, College of Food and Dairy Technology, who is also Mr. Ganesh Kumar’s research guide.
Across the world, beauty products with donkey milk as an ingredient are popular, and quite expensive. In another use of a donkey product, in many parts of Tamil Nadu, the dung of donkeys is placed in septic tanks, as it has a high level of microorganisms, and prevents tanks from overflowing.
Mr. Ganesh Kumar’s study also covers the traditional methods of rearing donkeys. “The owners of donkeys, used to cut open the animal’s nostrils, believing that this would help them inhale more air while carrying loads. This practice is also followed in countries such as Israel and Iran. But further study is required to ascertain this claim,” he said.
Donkeys, he said, were sure-footed animals and would not tip over like other animals while carrying weights. “The Election Commission of India still uses them to carry ballot boxes to remote areas where motor vehicles or other animals cannot get to. They could also be of immense help in farms with drip-irrigation facilities to carry manure and other products. Tractors and other vehicles could potentially damage pipelines,” Mr. Kumar said, adding that every animal, including the donkey, had a role to play in biodiversity.
Dr. Kumarvelu said there was also a need to put an end to the practice of breeding Tamil Nadu donkeys with animals from other states. “The donkeys in Tamil Nadu are dark grey in colour with the mark of a cross on their back. Now, owners cross-breed them with donkeys from other States and this may result in the extinction of the local species,” he explained.
