The Donkey Sanctuary’s data and statistics team is a mixed group of data scientists, statisticians, geographic information systems specialists and equine experts who work together to better understand donkey data.
Data is everywhere in the 21st century and at The Donkey Sanctuary we understand that good data can make the world a better place for donkeys. Collaboration is key to this team, and we work closely with every department in the organisation. This involves helping The Donkey Sanctuary’s staff – including grooms, dental technicians and veterinary surgeons – to monitor the animals in our care, through to working with partner organisations to make sure we understand all of the information collected on different donkey populations across the globe. On any given day we might spend the morning out on a farm talking to vets about how best to record herd health information, and the afternoon discussing welfare assessments with a partner in Nepal or Mexico.
Our team members have skills and experience across the data lifecycle, from accurately collecting data in the field, to storing, analysing and sharing that data. Our goal is to make sure that when someone makes a decision about a donkey or mule, they have the most reliable and up-to-date information to hand, and are in turn empowered to improve the welfare of donkeys globally by feeding into best-practice information.