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ARCHIVED - Environment boss resigns after death of 10 donkeys at Costa Blanca natural park
Ten of 50 donkeys introduced into the Desert de les Palmes on the Costa Blanca this summer are believed to have died of "starvation" and "stress"
The death of 10 of 50 donkeys introduced into the Desert de les Palmes natural park in Castellon this summer, as part of a sustainable initiative, has led to the resignation of Benjamín Pérez, regional Director General of Environment and project leader.
According to the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, "the project of introducing the donkeys to the natural park lacked diligence and good supervision," and an inquiry has been launched into the circumstances surrounding the animals deaths.
However, initial reports claim "the donkeys showed clear signs of starvation barely two months after being released in the natural park".
The donkeys were introduced to the natural park to keep the undergrowth clear, helping to prevent forest fires, but according to the Minister for Agriculture, Mireia Mollà, "the donkeys were obviously not cared for properly", after images of skeletal donkeys emerged.
"There was no good guardianship either from the administration or in practice, and it was not even assessed beforehand whether the animals would adapt well to the new environment, having not been used to living there," she said.
The minister added that there should have been a "widening of the focus of intervention involving veterinarians and the authorities", and admitted she had no idea about the plight of the donkeys, or the fact that 10 had died, until she saw a tweet on social media.
"What happened is not exemplary, but the way we acted when we found out about it is," she said, adding: "I can't resolve something I don't know about".
In addition to the resignation of the park's director general, Mollà has made a formal request to appear in Las Corts to "give all the necessary explanations to the representatives of the Valencian parliament".
Image: VOX Valencia Twitter
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