Why We Should Care About Their Decline

Imagine if something happened to humans that made our population drop by 94%. People would call it a disaster, or even genocide. Well, that’s what’s happening to donkeys right now. In Madhya Pradesh, a state in India, there are only 3,052 donkeys left. That’s a huge decline — from what used to be thousands to just a small number. And it’s not just India. Around the world, donkeys are disappearing because of two big reasons: cities are growing, and technology is taking over, plus there’s a growing demand for donkeys in Chinese medicine.

Donkeys have been helping humans for over 7,000 years. They’ve carried heavy loads, helped with farming, and even traveled with kings and gods in ancient stories. But now, we’re forgetting all the work donkeys did for us. Instead of thanking them, we’re letting them disappear. We’re becoming more disconnected from the animals and plants around us, and we don’t even notice or care. To truly fix things, we need to start noticing the damage we’ve caused and work to protect what we still have left.

In many parts of the world, especially in poorer countries, donkeys are losing their jobs. With more machines and cars, donkeys aren’t needed as much to carry things or help with farming. It’s sad because people used to rely on them so much. Donkeys were part of daily life for centuries. But there’s another reason why donkeys are in danger: in China, there’s a big demand for donkey hides to make a special medicine called *ejiao*. This has led to even more donkeys being killed, especially as China’s economy grows and the popularity of *ejiao* increases.

A study showed that between 1997 and 2018, India’s donkey population dropped by 74%, which is even worse than China’s 72% drop. The difference is that China is actively killing donkeys for their hides, while India is just letting it happen because of urban growth and changes in farming. Neither country is doing enough to protect donkeys, and the people most affected are often the poorest. In developing countries, the price of donkeys has risen, and this puts even more work on the shoulders of poor women and girls who rely on them.

The death of the donkey might not seem like a big issue to many, but it’s a sign of a bigger problem. If we keep ignoring these kinds of losses, we risk losing more important parts of our world, and the people who suffer the most will be those who have the least.

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