It is believed that donkeys
found in Mannar and Putlam were introduced to Sri Lanka by Arabian merchants and
the animals came from Somalia to be used
as pack animals. According to a census that carried out in 2012 by an NGO they
are numbering about thousand in Mannar alone.
In Mannar town area the population is about 300. The animals in the town
area were facing difficult times, eating garbage to survive and becoming
victims to road accidents. The animals are known to chase each other especially
during the mating period leading to traffic accidents.
Some people have the
misconception that donkeys are aggressive and that they kick and bite. But they
are shy animals and avoids human confrontation.
Some time back veterinary
surgeons from a charitable organization from India came to Mannar and treated the
sick animals in town area.
