(Mardin) The sun barely rises when Kadife (Velvet), Gaddar (Cruel), Mavis (Cornflower), Cefo (Indulgent) and Bozo (Blanche), donkeys employed by the municipality of Mardin, in the south-east of Turkey, begin their tour of garbage collection in the alleys of the old town.
About sixty kilometers from the Syrian border, medieval buildings, built on a rock, seem to be stacked on top of each other, the roof of one house often serving as a terrace for another.
Visitors easily get lost in the narrow sloping streets and the maze of stairs and passageways that connect the stone facades, carved like lace.
“We have used donkeys to clean the city for centuries. They are the only ones who can access these narrow streets. Otherwise, it would be impossible to do this work, ”says Kadri Toparli, from the cleaning service of the municipality of Artuklu, the district of Mardin which houses the old town.
About forty cream-colored donkeys, each bearing a name supposed to reflect their personality or their characteristics, go up and down the slopes of the city every day. Guided by municipal officials, they carry the garbage bags left by residents in front of their homes.
“They have the status of municipal employee,” smiles Mr. Toparli. “They work like us, eight hours a day, with a four hour break in the middle of the day.”
Having to climb at least 150 steps per day, the animals used in the garbage collection are selected from the so-called “Damascus” donkeys, considered as more robust.
“They are also very intelligent animals. Everyone knows their sector by heart. Often there is no need to guide them back to their barn, ”Toparli explains.
Increased awareness of animal rights
At the beginning of the 20e century, when Mardin was only populated by 20,000 inhabitants, municipal mules were used to transport ashes from wood and coal heaters.
Today, the old town alone has 60,000 inhabitants, generating 10 tonnes of waste per day.
“We have acquired mini-vehicles which have been called“ dustbin taxis ”. We also use them, but they are not as efficient as our donkeys for garbage collection, ”says Abdulkadir Tutasi, the mayor of Artuklu.
His attempt to replace donkeys with vehicles is part of Turkish society’s growing awareness of animal welfare in recent years.
An unprecedented mobilization of animal rights defenders thus pushed the municipality of Istanbul to ban in 2020 the carriages that were once the symbol of the Princes’ Islands, off the city, at the entrance to the Bosphorus. They have been replaced by electric vehicles.
To ward off possible criticism, the municipality of Artuklu says it works with animal rights organizations to monitor the working conditions of its donkeys.
Well deserved retirement
“Two vets see them regularly. We take care of them. Every evening we play classical music or traditional melodies for two hours in their stables, ”Toparli explains.
Animals also have musical preferences: “We can see that they are happier when we play a piece by Beethoven,” smiles Mr. Toparli.
Recruited at the age of 6, Mardin donkeys retire when they reach 14 or 15 years old. A ceremony is then organized with a plate of watermelon offered to the donkeys as a cake.
The older animals are then transferred to an animal shelter where they enjoy their well-deserved retirement.
According to the mayor, Mardin has served as a model for other cities, notably in France and Italy, which have used donkeys for municipal services in areas difficult to reach by car.
“In addition, it’s ecological. Donkeys do not pollute, ”he notes.