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.
Jan 20, 2021
Richard Lee Ruggiero, 77 of Bethany, WV passed away on Monday, January 18, 2021 at Somerford House in Hagerstown, MD. Born January 8, 1944 in Pittsburgh, PA, he was the son of the late Pasquale & Florinda (Tonet) Ruggiero.
Richard was a man of old school values who believed in hard work, his Catholic faith, and the importance of family. He was the son of families that immigrated from Italy to work for Westinghouse in Pittsburgh, PA. He grew up in Turtle Creek, playing pranks and football with his older brother, the late Father James Ruggiero. After graduating from Point Park College, he was drafted into the Army to serve in the Vietnam War where he used skills learned at his parents ice cream stand to manage mess halls. Upon return, he continued working in the food service industry at Gettysburg College where he met and married the love of his life, Felicity Dykman. The couple moved to West “by God” Virginia and had four children while he managed food service at B