On Bonaire, donkeys live in the wild. Donkeys are inextricably linked to Bonaire's history. Ever since the sixteenth century, they were brought by the Spanish colonists for heavy work, leaving them behind when they left a hundred years later. The Dutch who colonised the island in the seventeenth century made grateful use of the donkeys, and until the 1960s, some of the donkeys had a function as a means of transport and for carrying heavy objects such as cans of drinking water. Donkeys are an important part of the local culture and are considered heritage. This photo was taken in the south of the island in the early morning.
Pieter Smit was born in Arnhem and has lived on Bonaire since 2010. In his spare time, he enjoys taking photos, mainly of the Caribbean island's colourful birds... Read more…