Table_2_Welfare Concerns for Mounted Load Carrying by Working Donkeys in Pakistan.DOCX

Working donkeys (Equus asinus) are vital to people's livelihoods. They are essential for carrying goods, however, globally, overloading is one of the primary welfare concerns for working donkeys. We studied mounted load carrying by donkeys and associated factors in Pakistan. A cross-sectional study of donkey owners (n = 332) was conducted, and interviews were undertaken based on a questionnaire. Owners estimated that the median weight of their donkeys was 110 kg [interquartile range (IQR) 100–120 kg], and that they carried a median mounted load of 81.5 kg (IQR 63–99 kg). We found that 87.4% of donkeys carried a load above 50% of their bodyweight ratio (BWR), the median BWR carried was 77.1% (IQR 54.5–90.7%), and 25.3% of donkeys carried above 90% BWR. Donkeys that were loaded at more than 50% BWR were more likely to adopt sternal recumbency compared to donkeys loaded with less weight (P = 0.01). Donkeys carrying construction material were more likely to carry more than the median BWR, when compared to domestic loads (P < 0.001). Younger donkeys aged between one and 5 years carried more than the median BWR compared to those aged over 15 years (P = 0.03). For the models with donkeys carrying median BWR and above 90% BWR, those working in peri-urban and urban areas were more likely to carry a greater BWR than donkeys working in rural areas (P < 0.001; P < 0.001, respectively). For donkeys carrying more than 90% BWR, mixed breed donkeys carried higher loads compared to other breeds of donkeys (P < 0.001). Overloading based on current recommendations (50% BWR) was common, with the majority (87.4%) of donkeys reported to carry more than the recommended 50% limit. This survey provides evidence of on-the-ground working practices and factors associated with mounted load carrying, which is critical for developing evidence-based recommendations for loading, in order to improve the welfare of working donkeys.

役用驴（Equus asinus）对于人们的生计至关重要。它们在货物运输中扮演着不可或缺的角色，然而，在全球范围内，超载已成为役用驴福利的首要关注问题。本研究对巴基斯坦驴的驮载负荷及其相关因素进行了研究。我们对332名驴主进行了横断面调查，并基于问卷进行了访谈。驴主们估计，其驴的中位体重为110千克[四分位距(IQR) 100–120千克]，且它们携带的中位驮载负荷为81.5千克（IQR 63–99千克）。我们发现，87.4%的驴携带的负荷超过其体重比（BWR）的50%，中位BWR为77.1%（IQR 54.5–90.7%），25.3%的驴携带的负荷超过90% BWR。与负荷较轻的驴相比，负荷超过50% BWR的驴更可能采取胸卧姿势（P = 0.01）。与家庭负荷相比，携带建筑材料的驴更有可能携带超过中位BWR的负荷（P < 0.001）。年龄在1至5岁之间的年轻驴与年龄超过15岁的驴相比，携带的BWR超过中位数（P = 0.03）。对于携带中位BWR及以上的驴，那些在城乡地区工作的驴比农村地区的驴更有可能携带更高的BWR（P < 0.001；P < 0.001，分别）。对于携带超过90% BWR的驴，混血驴比其他品种的驴携带的负荷更高（P < 0.001）。根据当前的建议（50% BWR），超载现象普遍存在，大多数驴（87.4%）报告称携带的负荷超过了建议的50%上限。此次调查提供了关于现场工作实践及其与驮载负荷相关因素的证据，这对于制定基于证据的装载建议，以改善役用驴的福利至关重要。