Pape the donkey’s road accident
Pape the donkey transports materials around Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, to help his owner, Sidi, earn a basic income. Their work is hard and dangerous. Pape hauls heavy loads through busy streets that are unpaved, uneven and congested with traffic.
One day, Pape and Sidi were making their way through Nouakchott when they collided with a vehicle. The accident left Pape with an injury to his left hind leg, and he was unable to bear weight on that leg.
An anxious Sidi took his injured donkey straight to our member charity SPANA’s veterinary centre in Nouakchott for urgent treatment. SPANA’s veterinary team conducted a careful examination and found that although the impact of the accident had not broken any bones, it had affected Pape’s muscles and other structures in the leg, causing a lot of pain and bruising. Pape was administered anti-inflammatory treatment and Sidi was advised to give his donkey complete rest until his leg had healed and he could walk comfortably.
Sidi said: ‘SPANA’s vets have been an invaluable source of knowledge for us – teaching us the importance of attentive care for our animals. Through their guidance and expertise, we have learned how to provide the best possible support and treatment to our animals. Their dedication to animal welfare has inspired us to be more vigilant and compassionate. Thanks to SPANA’s guidance, we now understand the significance of regular check-ups, proper nutrition, and overall wellbeing for our animals.’
Every year, SPANA vets treat many working animals who have been the victim of a road accident. Luckily, Pape only suffered a minor injury, but some road accidents can leave working animals with serious, life-changing injuries that require long-term veterinary treatment at their centres.