An increasing number of donkey thefts and killings in North West has forced animal owners to beef up their security.

Locals believe the donkeys are being targeted since the announcement by the provincial government that China was interested in buying donkeys from the province.

According to the office of the premier, donkey meat and skins are in demand in China.

Animal owners in Bodibe village near Mahikeng said they were starting to experience a high number of missing donkeys in their area, with some found killed.

Modise Lebese, a villager in Rakgolo section in Bodibe, found a business opportunity in donkeys two years ago.

He used to leave them to roam freely around the village. At the time, his animals would return home on their own, but that has changed.

Lebese now follows his donkeys to grazing land and locks them in a kraal at night.

"This is going to kill my business. Before I could leave them to graze everywhere [but] now that they are in demand I am scared," Lebese said.

"I don't think there is anything that the police can do about this, these thieves don't leave traces behind."

Lebese said he bought his donkeys to use them in [a] transport business . He said people in his village hired his donkey carts for fetching water or picking up groceries at shopping centres .

He said at one time he had 40 donkeys but now he's left with five, mainly due to theft.

Lebese said he did not report all the incidents to the police. He said despite the speculation that a donkey was worth over R3000 if sold to China, he was not interested in selling.

"I make a living with these donkeys. I am currently building a seven-room house because of the income I get from them."

But his neighbour Abertnico Kolwane said he would grab the China opportunity with both hands. He has been breeding donkeys since 1970.

"I know how to work with donkeys, they are the easiest animals with less maintenance.

"Selling donkeys to China might look as a good opportunity but what will happen when we run out of donkeys?

"I can only sell half of my livestock," he said.

Kolwane has lost 17 donkeys due to theft. Another donkey owner, Klaas Thebenyane, goes to the extent of bathing his donkeys and brushing their fur every day.

"They need to be treated [like] human beings. These donkeys put food on my table," he said.

Thebenyane, 74, said he used to sell his donkeys for R400 but after the China demand he raised his price to R1500 per animal.

"I use soap and water to bathe them. I don't have to think hard in order to feed them, they eat grass and it's healthy," he said.

He said the donkeys with greyish fur were more in demand than the brown ones.

"Donkeys don't have special breeds but the grey ones are more attractive ," he said.

Provincial government spokesman Brian Setswambung confirmed the interest from China.

He said he would convene a workshop of all interested stakeholders in the donkey trade, to explain issues of compliance regarding the donkey trade.

He said the province also planned to establish a plant for donkey breeding.

Setswambung said, even though the province was excited about the new venture, they were concerned about the high rate of donkey killings.

"We have heard [about] donkey killings and urge people to desist from killing donkeys [hoping to cash in]. As of now no donkey trade has commenced yet," he said.

In the mid-1980s the donkey population in then Bophuthatswana rose so sharply that the local farmers union asked leader Lucas Mangope to cull them.

The farmers had reasoned that overgrazing needed to be controlled to avoid soil erosion.

tshehleb@sowetan.co.za