There are two major places on the island of Sri Lanka to find the ass, Kalpitiya and Mannar. Ass is both a singular and plural name for the donkey. The origins of Sri Lankan ass are said to be Africanus Asinus, wild ass from Namibia and Ethiopia. Arabian and Dutch traders brought them as pack ass and were used to move salt packs in Kalpitiya and move other goods at ports. I count seventy trips to the area in twenty-two years, so I’ve seen quite a few donkeys, some are feral, in theory wild.

Where are they today? You can spot them roaming the streets of Kalpitiya in small groups, e.g. I’ve never seen more than four together. They are somehow surviving the speeding drivers and excessive building expansion. They just wander around town, though I've seen more in cooler early mornings than the familiar blasting daily heat.

On my only visit to Mannar, known as “the donkey town“ the hotel manager said he would plan our day. He gave us a member of staff, so we piled in the van. The first stop was a donkey clinic/ sanctuary. It was formally opened by Otara of Odel fame. They created a centre for injured and undernourished donkeys. I was so impressed with the sanctuary and the twenty-five or so animals. Most looked so healthy and active. Each one had a name. Donkey assist theory is the brainchild of Jeremey whom I’m still tracking down. He links both therapy for the animals and for those who go to visit them. In Mannar, we found a large number of donkeys around the outer ramparts of the fort. It's well worth a visit.

There is a story that the feral donkeys were allowed to roam in coconut estates as their dung was attracting beetles who preferred it to the trees.

An adult male donkey is a Jack or a Jackass. A female is called a Jennet or Jenny. Donkey numbers are dwindling in the country, mainly due to road accidents. You can adopt a donkey, you just can’t take it home. During Covid and even today, some people believe donkeys are being killed for their meat. They say there are only about 6,000 Sri Lankan donkeys left.

So, can I suggest you go and check out the donkeys in Kalpitiya and Mannar? Both towns have so much going on and lots to see! Go for a weekend and depending on which town you visit you will see dolphins, kite surfers, many historic buildings including churches, forts, local foods and old ferry ports. I can’t give a date but it’s not soon, you will be able to drive from Mannar to India across an amazing bridge.