SOUTH KINGSTOWN, Rhode Island - No one messes with Bonnie. The newest employee at the University of Rhode Island"s Peckham Farm is a fuzzy four-foot-tall brown donkey, and she appears to be taking her livestock guarding responsibilities seriously.
Six-year-old Bonnie, who is pregnant and due in July, was brought in to keep watch over the animals, especially the sheep, at the university-owned and operated farm, after a gruesome incident with some domestic dogs. A student came in one morning to find blood around the barn and all the sheep injured with puncture wounds. One died and a second had to be put down. Coyotes have also been known to frequent the farm, where the university"s animal science students work as part of their hands-on training.
"We haven"t had any problems since Bonnie"s been here," farm manager Dave Marshall said. And if a dog or coyote did approach the flock, Marshall said the donkey would bray loudly, stomp her feet and ultimately "eliminate him" if need be. "She can kick with all four feet," he said. The farm staff are considering the purchase of another adult donkey to help with farm security.
羅德島大學農場中驢衛士盡職盡責
羅德島南金斯頓:這兒的人誰都不會惹鮑尼生氣,這位羅德島大學派克門農場的新員工是位毛茸茸的四英尺高的棕色驢子,而它看來正認真地執行着守衛家畜的職責。
六歲的鮑尼現已懷孕,預計七月生產,它被帶到大學所屬並經營的實驗農場裏來是爲了看護動物,特別是羊,在此之前,一些家養狗造成了一起令人毛骨悚然的襲羊事件。那天早晨,一個學生來到羊舍,發現四周都是血,所有的`羊都被咬傷,有一隻羊已經死亡,另一隻因傷勢過重不得不將其殺掉。此外,草原狼也常常來到這個農場。羅德島大學動物專業的學生在該農場實習,將其作爲實踐課程的一部分。
"自從鮑尼來了以後,任何問題都沒有發生過。"農場經理馬歇爾說道。如果有狗或狼走近羊羣,馬歇爾說,這頭驢就會大叫、尥蹶子,如果需要的話最終會將進攻者"滅掉"。"它能用四隻蹄子踢,"他說。農場工作人員正在考慮再買一頭驢來協助農場的保衛工作。
