Starting in the 1700s, Bermudians arrived on the island seasonally to rake salt from the salterns. They used donkeys to pull loaded carts from the evaporation ponds to the piers where the salt was loaded onto ships. During the offseason, the donkeys were free to roam. This created a huge population of wild donkeys. Unfortunately for tourists, many of the feral donkeys may be gone by the time you arrive. Grand Turk’s local government is rounding them up before their ride to the Dominican Republic to work on farms. Progress is also being made to establish a permanent donkey sanctuary to care for the remaining animals.
