Press Release
Caribbean’s First DonkeyCam is Launched on Bonaire
Kralendijk, Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles, February 1, 2006: Once again, Bonaire is in the forefront of new services with the inauguration of the new DonkeyCam, the first in the Caribbean.
Thanks to a donation last fall by Richard Mann of New Hampshire, USA, through Support Bonaire (www.supportbonaire.org), the Bonaire Donkey Sanctuary received partial funding to install a WebCam, now fondly called the DonkeyCam. To complete the installation, Caribbean WebCams (www.caribbeanwebcams.com) donated additional equipment and expertise.
Although the DonkeyCam originally went online in mid-November, 2005, it has been undergoing initial testing, which is now complete. The DonkeyCam is now live and ready for viewing at www.donkeycam.com. As with Bonaire’s other WebCams, image archives will be available at www.bonairewebcams.com by mid-February, 2006 for members of the Bonaire WebCams site. Live images from the DonkeyCam will be displayed there as well.
“We think the DonkeyCam is wonderful, as it will show everyone how precious Bonaire’s donkeys truly are. Even when visitors cannot make it to the Donkey Sanctuary in person, they can now visit via the Internet,” said Marina Melis, manager of the Bonaire Donkey Sanctuary.
With this first remote WebCam installation, Caribbean WebCams will now be evaluating locations for additional WebCams around Bonaire to provided added value for members of the Bonaire WebCams Web site. Bonaire was the first in the world to premiere an underwater WebCam in 2000, along with three shoreline views.
The Donkey Help Foundation created the Donkey Sanctuary in order to improve the living conditions of the donkeys currently living on Bonaire. Before the sanctuary was available, the donkeys were left to fend on their own on the streets, since in today’s modern society, the need for working donkeys is non-existent. Roaming free, they could be hit in passing traffic, which has steadily increased in recent years. To form the sanctuary, the initial land grant was provided by The Island Government of Bonaire for a reasonable lease-rent, and the foundation purchased a second tract of land of 220 acres. Now, over 300 of Bonaire’s donkeys are residing within the spacious confines of the Donkey Sanctuary, which provides food, water, and medical care and has since 1993. Each donkey has its own story, but all have now found a safe environment where they can peacefully live.
In March, 2006, the Sanctuary will premiere a Donkey Paradise Safari Park, a drive-through safari –like experience, with all entry fees going directly toward the maintenance of the donkeys. Also in March, the Sanctuary will increase its opening hours, which will be daily from 10:00 AM until 5:00 PM. However, for entry to the Safari Park, please arrive before 3:30 PM.
Caribbean WebCams, LLC, owner and operator of the Bonaire WebCams and the award-winning Bonaire ReefCam, specializes in all aspects of commercial WebCam set-up and installation for resorts and travel destinations. Company headquarters are located in Bolton, Massachusetts in the U.S.A. Caribbean WebCams information can be found at http://www.CaribbeanWebCams.com, and the company may be contacted at info@CaribbeanWebCams.com or by phone at +1-703-783-8370 or by FAX at +1-703-783-8371 in the U.S., or by phone at +599-7-174112 on Bonaire

Thank you everyone who participated in making this happen! This is such a nice thing to see.....I know it will help Marina with her fund raising tasks, too.

Thank you, again, to all who were involved in the creation of this site and the WebCam! Ayo. Carole

No No No it's dark there now !!! Can't we have 24 hour lighting??? lol!! Seriously, a giant THANK YOU to all who helped this project along. It's been a long time coming and I know I appreciate it, as do many, many others.

Masha Danke!!! (my little attempt at humor there...)

This is an awesome happening. Can hardly wait to tell all our friends and my grandchildren. It will certainly be good for those who donate and sponser a donkey to be able to see their donkey on occasion We leave next week and that is one of my favorite stops.

each time I look I don't see any donkeys !! is it just my bad timing?

ooooh I see them they are so tiny in the pic ! but I do see them :-)

when I looked yesterday afternoon they were all gathered around the closest shelter - looked like a new bale of hay had just been placed in the rack.

This is a wonderful site and it is nice to see the donkeys in a safe and secure enviroment. This should help in getting some extra support for the maintainance of the home. Is the Web cam being advertised in the local paper and on the Bonaire info site.

There is a link to the Bonaire WebCams site on every page here on BT, as well as from the home page of InfoBonaire (the official Bonaire web site), and from the home page of the Bonaire Reporter. Print media carry reports that we publish as press releases, but that's about it.

Jake

Jake,

Maybe I'm not yet awake this morning, but I don't see the link to the Donkey Cams on a BT page. I also didn't see a link on the Bonaire WebCam page - is there one?

Sue

PS - my kids really like the donkey cam! It's their #2 webcam, after the National Zoo (DC) live panda cam (of little Tai Shan).

I'm hoping to integrate the DonkeyCam into the Bonaire WebCams site tomorrow. Tonight I need to move the WebCams site to a new server Dan & I have had running for some months. Once the DonkeyCam is integrated, you'll also be able to access the archives for DonkeyCam images (and that'll go back over a week at this point).

Jake

I'm not sure I like the term "donkeyCAM"...makes a mockery of those poor donkeys ...no....wait....

Thanks, Jake...I was kinda "looking" for one on the WebCam page....I figured you guys would find a way to incoporate the DonkeyCam onto the Bonaire WebCams site. Thanks, again! Hi to everyone!! Carole