Wild Donkeys and Horses Help Other Animals Find Water by Digging Wells

Science -- December 10, 2021 In the heart of the world’s deserts— anywhere a donkey could go — there roam herds of feral

donkeys and horses. These are the descendants of a once-essential but now-obsolete labour force. In Australia they've been considered a threat to the natural environment, have been the target of mass eradication and lethal control programs. 

But according to new research in Science, they do something amazing that's long been overlooked: they dig wells, giving water to wildlife in the hottest months when temperatures can reach 50℃. Some sites with donkey wells were even the only source of water.

University of Technology Sydney:

"The wells didn’t just provide water for the donkeys and horses, but were also used by more than 57 other species, including numerous birds, other herbivores such as mule deer, and even mountain lions. (The lions are also predators of feral donkeys and horses.)

Incredibly, once the wells dried up some became nurseries for the germination and establishment of wetland trees."

wnctimes Marjorie Farrington December 10, 2021