Brooke Hospital for Animals inside a coal mine in Pakistan life is hard for the mineworkers and equines alike ( video ) donkeys work 10 hours without water, mortality rate is high

 

Please note: this video contains intense footage Despite the harshness of their world, your compassion gives donkeys something they rarely feel - hope. Because of you, we can reach them with care, relief, and dignity. Thank you, truly, for caring so deeply. Warm wishes, Jaz Jasvir Kaur International Director of Fundraising & Communications at Brooke Background Coal mines in Pakistan A coal mine usually operates with a mine owner, a manager, an electrician, a person in charge of organising labour called 'mat', equine owners, drivers and a watchman. The 'mat' is responsible for the provision of donkeys and for setting labour rates for the mine. Rates for carrying coal are fixed per ton and vary from mine to mine. Typical rates are 1100-1500PKR (approximately £6-£9) per ton, depending on quality and depth of mine - some mines go as deep as 8,000 feet. For the mine workers in Pakistan life is hard  A typical coal mine is around five foot by five foot wide at the entrance.  Inside, the roof and walls are supported with the help of wooden planks. Air is provided every 40 to 50 feet through tunnels dug into the rock. Some mines have a standby generator to provide electricity. Donkey owners work in teams of four - two dig the coal, one loads the coal on to a pack donkey and the fourth leads the donkey out of the mine and unloads. A small number of mines use a generator-powered trolley system known as 'haulage', but this is only effective in mines with a steep slope. Life in the coal mines Life is hard for mine workers and equines alike. Most owners live nearby in huts or abandoned mine sites. They work at the mines for six to 12 months, visiting their families just once or twice a year for festivals such as Eid. The mines are far away from towns and other amenities so it's difficult to buy routine items such as food and medicine. At such high altitudes, drinking water is scarce for both people and animals. The mine owner is responsible for providing drinking water for the workers which must be brought up from the city in tanks, usually three to four times a day. The working day lasts for eight to 10 hours and the donkeys usually work without drinking water. The donkey mortality rate is high - in each coal mine area, between four and seven donkeys perish in the summer, often from heat stress or suffocation in the intense heat of the mines. Winter can be even more difficult as donkeys suffer from heat injury and muscular cramps due to the extreme changes in temperature. Around five to 10 in each area do not survive the winter. The local environment in Choa Saidan Shah The area is 28 km from Kallar Kahar and 32km from Chakwal City. There are currently no rail or airport facilities in the district. Landline and mobile telephone networks are, however, available. There are approximately 8,610 equines in the Choa Saidan Shah and Dandot coal mine area, 97 percent of which are donkeys. There are few non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in Choa Saidan Shah, Plan International is working in a small number of nearby villages, and there are some mine welfare organisations in the area but these are for the welfare of mine workers only. There is no other NGO working for the welfare of equines. Services and healthcare There is no farrier in the area because owners have no knowledge of hoof care or farriery needs of their animals. There are around 12 packsaddle makers and dealers who trade in packsaddles, panniers and accessories. There are a number of government veterinary hospitals across Choa Saidan Shah. However, living and working in the hills means it's difficult for animal owners to reach these facilities. Similarly, government vets will rarely visit the coal mines due to their locations: coal mines are located uphill, and the steep roads are not easily accessible by 2x4 vehicles. Coal mine inspectors pay routine visits and ensure protocols for the safety of the workers are being observed. The coal mine association has strict rules and policies for visitors. Equine owners - knowledge, attitudes and practices In addition to the welfare assessment, a knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) survey was carried out with equine owners to measure existing knowledge of basic equine management practices. Five focus group discussions were held with groups of eight to 10 owners, as well as in-depth interviews with another 13. Grooming and hoof care Owners did not know about the need for grooming or foot cleaning. It was not seen as important as the animals could work without it. Hooves were only picked when an animal started to limp. Similarly, owners do not trim hooves on a regular basis, but will sometimes cut them with a hoe, pick or axe when too overgrown. Water awareness Most owners were not aware they should offer water at least three times a day; twice a day was considered to be enough. There is a limited supply of water, which is brought from the city daily. Power shortages mean that sometimes everyone has to rely on the previous day's reserves. Stable management The majority of owners did not know about the importance of a proper resting place or of clean and dry animal housing. They were not aware of the adverse effects that damp and dirty surroundings can have on their animal's health, and none had ever cleaned their animal's housing. Existing animal housings did not offer protection from the elements. Harness maintenance Packsaddles are often a rough combination of hessian or gunny bags, old clothes and rubber panniers. Most owners did not know about the benefits of getting their packsaddles repaired before they became unusable, and few knew how to maintain them. The majority of owners did not know to store them away from dirt and the elements. Heat stress management Owners did not know the signs of heat stress, nor how treat it, such as by cooling the animal with water. In fact, most believed that cooling heat-stressed animals will make them worse or cause a fever. In extreme cases, they might call a vet, or simply leave the animal alone until it recovers - or perishes. Wound management Wounds were not considered a problem, even if bleeding. Owners did not know they should wash them or apply antiseptic ointment. Some had been spraying wounds with an unknown medicine, available locally for around 150 to 200 PKR (approximately £1). Feeding The advantages of offering more than one type of feed, and of different feed ingredients, were not known. Owners were unaware they should clean the feed before giving it to their animal. They are currently feeding rice husk ('puk'), bought for 500 PKR (around £3) a bag which will feed five donkeys for a day. Owners are usally unable to afford higher quality feed such as wheat bran or grain, but some allow their animals to graze in the nearby mountains. Other observations Muzzle mutilation is a particular problem in the coal mines, as it is across Pakistan. The cruel and painful practice of slitting nostrils is believed by owners to help their donkeys breathe more easily. Owners' earnings depend on the quality of the coal, but because this is not known until it reaches the surface, they may overload their animals to deliver as much usable coal as possible. A supply of good quality coal means owners can afford to buy better quality feed and their donkeys are loaded with less weight. If the coal is not good, donkeys will carry heavier loads and will be given poor quality feed. Key findings Equine owners in the area lack knowledge and skills in basic equine healthcare and management. The working environment is extremely difficult but suffering can be reduced through better practices. There's a lack of access to vital equine welfare resources such as shelters, water, quality feed and grooming kits which is significantly affecting the health of working equines in the mines. Service providers are generally not available. Packsaddle makers and saddlers are available but not adequately trained. There are government vets in the area but they're out of reach of owners. Two senior vets, however, have received prior training from Brooke and are amenable to working with the team. No other working equine welfare organisations are operating in the area, so there is a good opportunity for Brooke to make a difference. How Brooke can help Strengthen local service providers by training and connecting them to equine owning communities in the coal mines. Develop a mechanism to monitor the performance of Brooke-trained local service providers and arrange follow-up visits to address any gaps in skills. Build the capacity of owners and users in basic equine management to address the welfare issues of each individual coal seam. Train community change agents and link them with coal mine communities. People working as 'mats' could be prospective change agents. Provide emergency veterinary care until service providers have been trained by Brooke and can offer services which at least reach Brooke's minimum standards. A demand must also be created for these quality services at reasonable rates. Raise awareness among coal mine communities of wider issues relating to working equines and help them to find a solution themselves - for example, a community savings fund, as they all share the same resources (they already have the option to contribute towards resources like shelters and water troughs) or a co-operative feed project, so they can buy quality grains at concessionary rates. Animal welfare assessment data A baseline assessment was carried out in three coal mines in Choa Saidan Shah. Key findings of the 63 donkeys assessed using the standardised equine-based assessment tool were: 10 percent had lesions on their hindquarters 19 percent had lesions on their breast or shoulder 33 percent had lesions on their withers or spine 49 percent were below body condition score 2* 19 percent had slit nostrils 14 percent suffered from eye problems 37 percent displayed minor tethering/hobbling wounds 79 percent display varying degrees of lameness * Numerical scale used to evaluate amount of fat on an equine's body. Equines scoring 2 or below are considered thin or very thin.

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VIDEO: Severe floods in Pakistan have left entire villages under water: Thousands of buffaloes, cows and goats have no food please support ( 50kg bag of food 12 euro)

www.animalheroes.nl

Animals in Pakistan need our help NOW

Severe floods in Pakistan have claimed more than 100 lives and left entire villages under water. Thousands of animals have also been affected: buffaloes, cows, and goats have little to no food and are growing weaker by the day.

How does Animal Heroes help? 

Faisal Saleem, the head of a local Christian church in a small village in Punjab, is leading his community in collecting emergency aid for flood victims. When he saw so many starving animals, it broke his heart. He reached out to us —  asking for help to provide food for animals. 

Faisal Saleem, the head of a local Christian church

We support his work by collecting donations to enable Pastor Faisal to buy food for the animals in the area that is most affected. 

How can you help?

With your support, the first load of animal food can be delivered to the animals as early as next week.

These are the local prices:

• A 50kg bag of food costs 12 euro.
• To feed one cow or buffalo a day costs 6 euro.  
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Ik krijg vaak de vraag: "Is er nooit positief nieuws over de redding van uitgebuite, mishandelde, wilde dieren?" Stichting Vier Voeters heeft positief nieuws

 

Maart begon met een dringende noodoproep: een in beslag genomen vechtbeer in Pakistan had direct onze hulp nodig! Ter plekke kwam er vervolgens nog een hulpoproep: ook een dansbeer aan de andere kant van Pakistan had met spoed onze zorg nodig. http://princessaliafoundation.org/index.php#hero Terwijl we twee beren redden, moesten we in Al Ma’wa for Nature and Wildlife in Jordanië afscheid nemen van leeuw Sultan. De vier nieuwste bewoners van FELIDA hadden een afspraak bij de tandarts en in onze berenreservaten is de strijd losgebarsten wie de titel van ‘langste slaper’ dit jaar wint. In Europa zetten we alles op alles om een eind te maken aan de illegale puppyhandel.  Lees verder om te lezen wat we samen hebben bereikt!

Rocky en Sunny: noodmissie in Pakistan https://www.four-paws.org/our-stories/rescues-success-stories/rescue-bear-rocky Maart begon met een noodoproep van de Pakistaanse autoriteiten. Rocky, een zevenjarige beer die was gebruikt in illegale berengevechten, was net in beslag genomen. Vijfendertig keer moest hij op leven en dood vechten tegen getrainde vechthonden. Een oneerlijke strijd want al Rocky zijn tanden zijn wreed verwijderd waardoor hij zich niet kon verweren. Hij was ernstig gewond en had dringend medische zorg nodig in het professionele opvangcentrum van het Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB). Ons noodhulpteam hielp met de verhuizing en gaf hem dringende medische zorg. Terwijl Rocky net in Islamabad was, kregen we nóg een hulpverzoek. Driejarige dansbeer Sunny was ruim 400 kilometer verderop in beslag genomen en had ook dringend zorg nodig. Door noodweer en over slecht begaanbare wegen haalde ons team Sunny op en reed met haar terug naar Islamabad. Bij het IWMB herstellen beide beren nu van hun traumatische verledens en gelukkig verloopt hun herstel spoedig!

Afscheid van leeuw Sultan in Jordanië In Al Ma’wa for Nature and Wildlife, het opvangcentrum dat we in samenwerking met de Princess Alia Foundation beheren in Jordanië, moesten we plotseling afscheid nemen van leeuw Sultan. De zeventienjarige leeuw zag er ineens erg moe uit, lag veel op de grond en vertoonde tekenen van pijn. Met spoed werd hij onderzocht waaruit bleek dat hij veel vocht in zijn buik had en een vergrote lever. Ondanks alle inspanningen van de dierenartsen, verslechterde zijn toestand snel en overleed hij dezelfde dag.   Sultan was één van de oudste leeuwen in het opvangcentrum. In 2014 werd hij gered uit een dierentuin in Gaza. Hij leefde in Al Ma’wa samen met leeuwin Sabreen. ’s Ochtends brulde Sultan altijd luid, alsof hij de andere leeuwen een goede morgen wenste. We troosten ons met het idee dat we hem nog ruim tien mooie jaren in Jordanië konden geven.

Tandartsbezoek in FELIDA https://www.felida-bigcatsanctuary.org/nl/ Maart stond bij FELIDA in het teken van medische checks voor de vier nieuwste bewoners. Leeuwen Diego en Manuschka en de tijgerzussen Samba en Kenya zijn alle vier grondig medisch onderzocht . Op de eerste dag werden Diego en Manuschka onderzocht door een team specialistische dierentandartsen uit Denemarken. Diego kwam er met één wortelkanaalbehandeling vanaf, maar Manuschka had meer pech. Bij haar moest er één tand geseald worden en kregen twee hoektanden een wortelkanaalbehandeling.   De volgende dag was de beurt aan tijgers Kenya en Samba. Kenya’s hoektand was er slecht aan toe en is daarom getrokken. Samba had meer geluk en had net als Diego één wortelkanaalbehandeling nodig. Naast het tandartsonderzoek, kregen alle vier de dieren ook een algemeen medisch onderzoek. Dit is gedaan door de dierenartsen van het Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research. Aan de hand van de resultaten wordt bepaald wat het beste behandel- en verzorgingsplan is voor ieder dier zodat ze de juiste zorg op maat krijgen bij FELIDA. Alle vier de dieren genieten inmiddels alweer van de lentezon in hun buitenverblijf.

Welke beer wint de titel van langste slaper?! De eerste warmere en zonnige lentedagen in Europa zijn aangebroken! Tussen onze berenreservaten in Europa barst ieder jaar de strijd los wie de langst slapende beer in winterrust heeft. Hoe lang en óf een beer in winterrust gaat, hangt van veel factoren af. Bij ons BERENWOUD Müritz in Duitsland is nog één beer in de race voor de titel. Mascha is tot op heden niet onder de indruk van het lenteweer en is nog steeds in winterrust. Ook in Oostenrijk in BERENWOUD Arbesbach is er nog één titelverdediger: beer Mark! In BERENWOUD Belitsa in Bulgarije strijden de vrouwtjesberen Jeta en Suzana nog mee en in BERENWOUD Domazhyr in Oekraïne is alleen berin Masha nog in winterrust. De opvangcentra met nu nog de meeste kansen zijn Arosa Berenwoud in Zwitserland en BERENWOUD Prishtina in Kosovo. Hier zijn in beide landen nog drie beren in de race om de titel. In Kosovo zijn dat Hana, Tomi en Mira en in Zwitserland beren Meimo, Jamila en Sam. Wie er uiteindelijk met de titel vandoor gaat, weten we de komende weken!

Help mee en maak een eind aan de illegale puppyhandel in Europa  De Europese Parlementsleden stemmen op 14 mei voor of tegen een belangrijke wetswijziging die grote gevolgen heeft voor de illegale handel in honden en katten binnen de EU. Om echt iets te kunnen veranderen in de illegale puppyhandel is het cruciaal dat de parlementsleden vóór deze twee amendementen stemmen:  Alle honden en katten binnen de EU moeten geïdentificeerd worden door middel van een microchip én ze moeten goed geregistreerd staan in een registratiedatabase.   Vóór het publiceren van een online verkoopadvertentie, moet eerst gecontroleerd en geverifieerd worden door het verkoopplatform, dat het aangeboden dier ook daadwerkelijk geregistreerd staat bij de persoon die ze aanbiedt.   Alleen als de Europese parlementsleden het amendement op 14 mei aannemen kan er een einde komen aan de illegale puppyhandel binnen Europa. Op dat moment kan pas gegarandeerd worden dat alleen traceerbare honden en katten online worden verkocht.   Jij kan hier direct aan bijdragen door deze parlementsleden op te roepen om voor deze wijzigingen te stemmen. Dit doe je door ze via deze petitie een e-mail te sturen: VERSTUUR NU EEN E-MAIL

Hartelijke groeten,   Petra Sleven Directeur VIER VOETERS

Bekijk online Doneren Contact Wijzig voorkeuren © 2025 VIER VOETERS Nederland

Na 35 keer gedwongen te vechten met honden voor de gokindustrie is beer Rocky met bloedende wonden en getekend voor het leven door Stichting Vier Voeters gered

 

VIER VOETERS  www.vier-voeters.nle

Noodredding Pakistaanse beer Rocky

Afgelopen weekend kwam ons noodhulpteam met spoed in actie om een zwaargewonde Aziatische zwarte beer in Pakistan te redden. Beer Rocky werd gebruikt als lokbeer in berengevechten en is door de Pakistaanse autoriteiten in beslag genomen. Bij deze illegale praktijk moeten beren vechten tegen getrainde vechthonden ter entertainment van de aanwezigen.

Rocky had meerdere bloedende wonden in zijn gezicht en op zijn rug en kon nauwelijks meer staan. Hij is zwaar getekend door alle gevechten waarin hij voor zijn leven moest strijden.

Het Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) vroeg onze assistentie om Rocky naar hun opvangcentrum te vervoeren en hem de nodige, dringende medische zorg te geven. Ons noodhulpteam, onder leiding van Dr. Amir Khalil, heeft de zevenjarige beer ter plaatse behandeld aan zijn wonden, pijnbestrijding gegeven en zijn neusring en ketting verwijderd. Op dit moment is Rocky stabiel dankzij deze snelle inzet van alle betrokken partijen.

Maar na ruim 35 zware gevechten op leven en dood, wacht Rocky nog een lange weg naar herstel. Niet alleen van zijn fysieke, maar ook van zijn mentale wonden.

Draag bij aan Rocky’s verdere medische zorg en herstel door te doneren via deze link: bit.ly/HelpBeerRocky. Wij houden jullie via onze sociale mediakanalen op de hoogte over Rocky's gezondheid en zijn herstel.

English

 https://youtube.com/shorts/tVRToV6xKLE?si=LEJTgjtIiIdBPPtE  cruel video 

#BREAKING: Severely Wounded Baiting Bear in Dire Need of Rescue! 

Last Thursday evening, we received an urgent call from the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB). https://iwmb.gov.pk/ the tone of their request, we could tell that the situation was extremely critical. The wildlife department in Punjab had confiscated a 7-year-old baiting bear that same day. From what we learnt, the animal was bleeding from the eyes, nose, and ears. Furthermore, he was in shock and constantly shaking.  While these words already prepared us for the worst, a video showing the bear’s injuries and the emotional distress he was clearly in made us realise that we needed to act immediately.

That same night, the FOUR PAWS rapid response team under Dr Amir Khalil's lead organised to get on the next flight to Lahore, Pakistan. From there the plan was to travel on to the Punjab region. Our experienced colleagues worked through the night to make all necessary travel preparations. After all, the bear was in this moment tied to a pickup truck through his nose ring, an excruciating situation, especially given his injuries. We would need to move him as soon as possible to the IWMB rescue centre, which required numerous logistical arrangements that had to be made.

Last year, FOUR PAWS had already rescued the two baiting bears Boogie and Laila in Punjab together with IWMB. In case you are not familiar with it, bear baiting is an extremely violent blood "sport" in which a bear is forced to fight against a group of dogs. The practice was banned in most countries in the 19th century. In Pakistan, bear baiting is illegal, but unfortunately still happening nevertheless. FOUR PAWS has been supporting the authorities to stop it for good.