Donkeys - The Wild Ones - Part Three

Over time, domestic donkeys in the islands have gone feral. They have formed small herds of up to a dozen or so. They are a nuisance eating most anything and doing harm to the ecology. While we were at Lille Maho one herd of about 7 or 8 came at night fairly regularly to the beach to romp and roll in the sand. They were bold and brazen. Sometimes they came during the day and our little 20 pound mutt dog (appropriately named Lassie) would fearlessly herd them off the property. She also herded out our neighbor’s goats and chickens.

One night I was sleeping soundly on one of the two day beds we had in the living room of the Main House when I sensed someone or something snuffling and snorting in my face. I opened my eyes to find a wild donkey’s lips inches from my nose. I let out a yell and the poor animal, disoriented from having wandered onto the porch and into the living room, didn’t know how to find its way out. It ran around the room a couple of times, found an open doorway, clattered its way through the kitchen, and ran out onto the back porch. By that time family members were up and were able to shoo it off the back porch and into the bush.

Here's a not to good floor plan to give you an idea of how things went.

We all had a good laugh over that and I have never forgotten those snuffling warm puffs of air on my face.