Donkey population goes up to 5.2m

Islamabad: You must have seen donkeys carry bricks, gravel or soil on their back near construction sites or kilns but may have never thought how many these beasts of burden, the country has.

To the surprise of many, the government compiles and publishes data on the countrywide donkey population every year.

And, as go the latest numbers revealed by the Economic Survey of Pakistan 2016-17, donkeys in the country total 5.2 million.

Interestingly, a persistent annual increase of 0.1 million has been registered in their population over the last many years.

Donkeys hit the headlines in the country lately when the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government unveiled a billion-rupee ‘Donkey Development Programme’ to export these hoofed mammals to China, where its hide is used to make medicines and other thing.

From cows to buffaloes to horses to goats to camels, the ESP disclosed the countrywide population of other animals, too.

According to the survey, the country has 72.2 million goats, 44.4 million cattle, 37.7 million buffaloes, 30.1 million sheep, 1.1 million camels and 0.4 million horses.  All these animals have seen an increase in their respective populations over the years.