Bonaire - Adventure Guide to Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao - page 158

Once trucks and machinery made their jobs obsolete, the gentle
beasts found themselves unemployed and unwanted. With noth-
ing better to do, they roamed the countryside, feeding on scrub
brush and private gardens, and reproducing at a rather rapid
rate. Soon the island had herds of feral donkeys; a problem with
no practical solution. To make matters worse, many of them wan-
dered onto the roadways where they were hit by cars and seri-
ously injured or killed. Many times a nursing mother died,
leaving a newborn with no means of survival.
A few years ago, Merina Melis visited from Holland and noticed
numerous donkeys running wild on the island. Being a true ani-
mal lover with a bold stubborn streak, she set up a non-profit
foundation, Save the Donkeys, to ease the suffering of old, sick,
and orphaned burros. Her campaign captured international at-
tention and, with the help of the Bonaire government, she was
able to obtain a 61-acre parcel of land for her rescued animals.
Merina is justifiably proud of the shelter she has created. The
compound includes an observation deck, an iguana garden, gift
shop, stables, feeding areas, shaded resting spots, and, best of all,
a walk-up snack bar with a serving window where Mariana dis-
penses treats to her pets. The grounds are immaculately clean;
the animals well groomed.
The Donkey Sanctuary is open 10 am-4 pm, Tuesday-Sunday, at
no charge, but donations are greatly appreciated.

717-7233 or

560-7607.

Continuing south along the coast, notice the small yellow boulders with
black lettering at the side of the road. These are markers for dive sites ,
and most areas are excellent for a swimming and snorkeling, as well.
Soon you'll see huge blinding white hills backed by giant turquoise and
pink pools, proof that the salt industry is thriving, once again. In the dis-
tance, flocks of flamingos, osprey, heron, and other marine birds feed at
Pekelmeer Flamingo Sanctuary . A blue obelisk stands near the
water's edge as a docking guide for transport ships. A bit farther on, a dirt
road leads down to Pink Beach .

TIP: Read about The Obelisks of Bonaire and Salt
of the Earth, pages 147 and 146, and Pink Beach on
page 166.

At the side of the main road, in an area called Witte Pan , notice the
small stone huts. These are a stunning reminder of the heartless treat-
ment of slaves. Dutch companies depended on slave labor to process and
export salt to Europe, and the workers were quartered, first in crude stick-