Gonvi the donkey’s SPANA check-up
Find out what happened when Gonvi the donkey returned to SPANA’s mobile veterinary clinic in Mali following an injury.
The sprawling rubbish dumps of Mali’s capital city, Bamako, are an extremely dangerous place for donkeys like Gonvi. The seven-year-old is one of hundreds of donkeys who work hard pulling cartloads of the city’s waste to the dumps.
The mountains of rubbish, broken glass, sharp scraps of metal and noxious smoke make Gonvi and his owner Oumar’s work particularly hazardous. They work three days a week hauling waste so that Oumar can support his wife and four children.
One day, Gonvi wounded his left hind knee while working at the dump. Oumar wasted no time taking his donkey to one of SPANA’s mobile veterinary clinics which regularly visits Lafiabougou, where Gonvi and Oumar work. Our vets treated Gonvi’s wound. They cleaned it thoroughly – at the same time showing Oumar how to do so – and administered pain relief encouraged Oumar to return with Gonvi in two days’ time for a check-up and further pain relief.
When Oumar returned with his donkey, our vets were delighted to see how well Gonvi’s wound was healing and the time, care and attention Oumar had spent ensuring that his donkey recovered.
Our vets rechecked Gonvi’s wound, cleaned it thoroughly, then administered an anti-inflammatory injection. The vet praised Oumar for keeping Gonvi in good shape and advised him to continue to keep an eye on the wound to ensure it remained clean.
Oumar said: ‘I love SPANA. Every time the team comes by, I am happy to see them.’
Your support enables SPANA’s teams to treat Mali’s rubbish dump donkeys, who work tirelessly in such difficult conditions to support their owners. Our regular visits to Mali’s rubbish dumps have helped our team build good relationships with the working animal owners there, ensuring they better understand the importance of animal welfare and how to care for their animals. Thank you so much for making this vital work possible.
