Quantifying poor working equid welfare in Nepalese brick kilns using a welfare assessment tool.

The research focuses on the welfare of working equids (WEs) in the brick kiln industry in Nepal. Given the rapid growth of the industry, the research aimed to assess and quantify the poor conditions of these animals using an Equid Assessment Research tool developed by The Donkey Sanctuary.

Overview of the Study

• The researchers conducted an assessment of 119 working equids across seven brick kilns in three districts of Nepal in December 2019 using the Equid Assessment Research and Scoping tool.

Use of Working Equids in the Brick Kiln Industry

• The rising urbanization in Nepal has led to an increased reliance on low-cost, mass-produced bricks.
• This requires the use of working equids (WEs) i.e., horses, donkeys and mules, in non-mechanized kilns to transport bricks and other materials. Horses were found to be the predominant species used.

Assessment of Welfare Conditions

• The hazardous housing conditions and environments for these equids were observed across all kilns.
• Poor general health among equids was found, mainly being underweight with evident alterations in skin and musculoskeletal issues.
• Both the behavior responses of the animals and owner responses signified poor working conditions.

Signs of Harmful Practice

• Despite the various behavioral responses across the animals, signs of harmful practices were evident.
• The practices ranged from the use of harmful work gears, infrequent feeding to overloading.

Welfare Concerns and Intervention

• Considering the poor welfare of working equids prior to the start of the brick kiln season, significant concerns arise for their condition during the actual working period.
• The current findings highlight an urgent need for intervention to ensure better animal health and welfare. Such improvements would indirectly contribute positively to the well-being of the people and the environment, as they are all interlinked as per the One Welfare principles.