Helping Bilenman the donkey
In Bamako, the capital of Mali, Bilenman the donkey accidentally ate some harmful waste, causing severe damage to his mouth. Thanks to your support, our member charity Working Animals International (the new name for SPANA) treated his wounds.
Like many donkeys in Bamako, five-year-old Bilenman spends hours dragging carts over a rubbish dump in the city in baking hot conditions. With so few jobs available, the donkeys’ owners depend on them to help support their families. Bilenman and his owner, Dramane, work daily in a hazardous environment littered with razor-sharp
shards of glass, plastic and rusting metal.
One morning, Bilenman ate something while grazing – likely a bottle or battery containing a caustic chemical. In such a precarious working environment, waste and plastic pollution are a constant threat to donkeys as they search for food. They can easily eat toxic or inedible items which can be harmful or even fatal. The substance burned the inside of Bilenman’s mouth. Bilenman was in visible distress. Dramane quickly brought Bilenman to Working Animals International’s mobile clinic, which regularly visits the rubbish dump where they work.
When the team examined Bilenman, they found lesions and swelling inside his mouth. They sedated Bilenman, applied a gel to numb his mouth, then cleaned his mouth so no trace of the caustic material remained. As his wounds were infected, they started him on a course of antibiotics and showed Dramane how to continue the treatment
at home.
The team also advised Dramane how to care for Bilenman while he recovered. This included administering anti-inflammatories to keep his donkey comfortable, resting him for a few days and ensuring he had access to plenty of fresh, clean water. They also shared advice on how to monitor Bilenman’s grazing patterns.
Dramane said: “Thanks to Bilenman, I have a job and can cover my family’s expenses. Thank you for treating my donkey for free.”