Feral donkey

Donkeys were introduced to Australia from Africa in 1866 to work as pack animals.

It is estimated there are tens of thousands of feral donkeys in the arid zones of:

• Central Australia
• Western Australia and
• Top End (common in the Katherine region).

They are approximately half the size of farmed Chinese donkeys, with an average weight of 200 kg.

They are also able to tolerate various environments and produce a foal every year.

This means the population can increase quickly with good conditions.

Impact

Feral donkeys are a serious threat to the natural environment. They can:

• increase erosion of soil and waterways
• spread weeds
• trample native vegetation
• eat native seedlings
• cause sedimentation of water bodies
• destroy infrastructure and
• compete with native species and domestic cattle for resources.

Management

If you control feral donkeys, you should read the national code of practice for the humane control of feral donkeys.

It can help you choose the best technique for reducing their negative impact. These include:

• aerial culling:
  • most effective, environmentally-friendly and humane way to remove large animals
  • must be done by someone with extensive training
• on-ground culling:
  • humane and cheap
  • is limited to accessible areas
• fertility control:
  • difficult to use on large numbers of feral donkeys
  • treatment must be repeated to be effective
• trapping or mustering to sell them commercially.

You can read the national code of practice on the pestSMART website.

Exporting

There are no live donkey trade protocols between Australia and any international trade partner.

Negotiations must be initiated by the importing country with the Australian Government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF).

This applies to edible (meat) and inedible (hides) feral donkey products which must also be processed at an accredited export abattoir.

The Northern Territory Government does not provide export protocols.

All existing protocols for live animal exports can be found on the DAFF website.