15/01/2026
I saw a YouTube clip on this ages ago. I used in my class for agriculture and the farmer who was wanting the donkeys to stay to help improve his land was going to court over it I hope this means he won!!
For decades, Australia classified wild donkeys as destructive invasive animals, leading to large-scale culling programs across arid regions. These animals were blamed for soil erosion, damaged waterholes, and competition with livestock. However, new ecological observations are challenging this long-held view. Researchers and land managers have begun to notice that when donkey populations are carefully controlled—not eliminated—they can actually help regenerate desert ecosystems by digging water access points, fertilizing soil, and improving plant growth in degraded lands.
By breaking hardened ground and exposing underground moisture, donkeys unintentionally create water access for other wildlife during extreme droughts. Their movement patterns also help disperse seeds and organic matter, contributing to soil restoration. In some regions, controlled donkey presence has even reduced wildfire risk by limiting dry vegetation buildup. This discovery is forcing Australia to reconsider traditional pest-control strategies and highlights a broader lesson: ecosystems are complex, and animals once seen only as threats may play critical roles in environmental balance when managed responsibly.
Sources of Information
Click Petróleo e Gás – “Australia kills thousands of wild donkeys but discovers they can save the desert”
Australian Government – Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (Invasive Species Management
