Feral Desert Donkeys Are Digging Wells, Giving Water To Parched Wildlife
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Published 6 days ago:
May 10, 2021 at 1:00 pm
In the heart of the world’s deserts – some of the most expansive wild places left on Earth – roam herds of feral donkeys and horses. These are the descendants of a once-essential but now-obsolete labour force.
These wild animals are generally considered a threat to the natural environment, and have been the target of mass eradication and lethal control programs in Australia. However, as we show in a new research paper in Science, these animals do something amazing that has long been overlooked: they dig wells or “ass holes”.
Horsetalk.co.nz Feral desert donkeys are digging wells, giving water to parched wildlife
A kulan in central Asia digging a well. (Petra Kaczensky)
Researchers Erick Lundgren, Arian Wallach, and Daniel Ramp, all with the University of Technology Sydney, describe the remarkable well-digging abilities of equids in desert environments.
In the heart of the world’s deserts – some of the most expansive wild places left on Earth – roam herds of feral donkeys and horses. These are the descendants of a once-essential but now-obsolete labour force.
These wild animals are generally considered a threat to the natural environment, and have been the target of mass eradication and lethal control programs in Australia. However, as we show in a new research paper in Science, these animals do something amazing that has long been overlooked: they dig wells or “ass holes”.
Times Telegram
A pandemic was the last thing on Sharon Dunphy’s mind when she purchased Arthur’s Cottage Hotel and Restaurant in January 2020.
With the help of Richard Ruggiero, a longtime restaurateur she calls her mentor, she planned to renovate and reopen the long-vacant restaurant on Main Street in Dolgeville.
“We started remodeling and then the pandemic hit,” she recalled during an interview Thursday afternoon. She said she has seen plenty of ups and downs during her 40 years in the restaurant business, “but you’re never prepared for a pandemic.”
She also owns Ruggiero’s Trattoria, which she described as a popular restaurant and lounge in Little Falls.