Donkey identification tags to curb illegal trade

ARUSHA: THE identification of donkeys through ear tags could help curb illegal transportation and smuggling of the animals, the Arusha Society for the Protection of Animals (ASPA) has said.

Speaking during a journalists’ engagement in Arusha on the growing challenge of donkey smuggling, ASPA Director Livingstone Masija said tagging will enable owners and authorities to identify and track the animals, helping to combat illegal trade.

“Regarding donkey identification, the government has already issued a call and directive to various people working in villages, districts and other areas on the need to tag animals for identification. Donkeys should also be identified like other animals and identification should not only apply to sheep, goats and cattle because donkeys are also important in our communities,” he said.

Mr Masija said the government, through the Director of Veterinary Services and the head of the animal desk, has directed that donkeys should be tagged and identified like other livestock.

He said donkeys should also receive veterinary services, including bathing and treatment, and should not be discriminated against among domesticated animals.

On smuggling, Mr Masija said many donkeys are being transported illegally to neighbouring Kenya, although obtaining accurate figures remains difficult because the trade is conducted outside legal channels and animals are moved through different routes.

He said ASPA has intercepted 79 donkeys being smuggled to Kenya this year, but the long and porous border makes it difficult to establish the actual number involved in the illegal trade.

Mr Masija said additional statistics are obtained through the Tanzania Police Force’s Stock Theft Prevention Unit (STPU).

He said ASPA has been conducting public awareness campaigns to educate Tanzanians on the importance of protecting donkeys and preventing their smuggling.

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“We are urging the government to enact tough laws targeting owners, so that anyone caught stealing donkeys is fined heavily enough to discourage them from committing the offence again,” he said.

He added that the organisation educated donkey owners on the importance of the animals and visited schools to promote their welfare.

ASPA works with Brooke East Africa in advocating for donkey welfare, particularly in addressing transportation challenges and illegal trade.

Meanwhile, Dr Robert Buluba of the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries’ Northern Zone Veterinary Investigation Centre said some people are illegally transporting donkeys outside the country, particularly to Kenya.

He said the government has suspended the export of donkeys and donkey products, making such trade prohibited.