Helping working animals in Botswana

For many people in rural Botswana, working animals such as donkeys, horses and cows are integral to their survival. In the northern town of Maun alone, there are more than 24,000 donkeys, which – due to their abundance – tend to be considered ‘low status’ animals. Donkeys, mules and horses are used for transportation, while more than 50 per cent of households in rural areas depend on cattle as their largest source of income.

Our work in Botswana

Our team is based in Greater Maun, in the north of the country. Greater Maun is a vast area, where thousands of donkeys are used for arduous work like ploughing and pulling heavy carts.  

Sadly, there is a widespread lack of concern for the welfare of these animals. There are few local vets in the region and there is often a lack of necessary expertise about equines. Our team runs a mobile veterinary clinic three times a week, clocking up hundreds of kilometres to bring relief to donkeys in remote rural villages. 

As well as our mobile clinic, our team in Botswana provides one-to-one informal training and advice in animal care to owners. In addition, our animal welfare education programme reaches children in Greater Maun, providing lessons and activities in caring for and respecting animals.  

We also run community education programmes to raise awareness of the devastating global trade in donkey skins and the long-term economic impact of selling working animals. In 2018, we provided feed and care to help hundreds of donkeys who had been kept in terrible conditions at a local abattoir serving the trade. Following this, SPANA was invited to work with the government on updating national animal welfare legislation. In 2019, we organised a major conference in Botswana to highlight the terrible impact of the trade. Attended by government officials, village chiefs, industry leaders and media, the conference led to widespread agreement that urgent action is needed, and positive steps were taken towards fighting the trade.