Petition To Repatriate STJ Donkeys Receives More Than 1,700 Signatures

By Wednesday night, 1,720 people had signed a petition calling for the return of the donkey Biscuit and her foal, Kammy, to the island of St. John — more than two weeks after the pair was taken to a St. Thomas petting zoo.

“This is where they were born and raised,” said Pamela Holmes, cofounder of St. John Wildlife Rehabilitation (STJWR). “And you know, taking an animal out of the wild and putting it into captivity is extremely stressful, and any change in their diet can also be harmful to them.”

The dispute over Biscuit and Kammy began on Nov. 17 when, according to a police report reviewed by The Source, Holmes said she received a call about a man loading the donkeys into a trailer. Holmes made contact with the driver, who told her the animals were being taken to Connors Farms Petting Zoo on St. Thomas with permission from the V.I. Agriculture Department. Attempts to reach the petting zoo’s owner, Joel Browne Connors, were not successful. A spokesperson for the Agriculture Department did not respond to a request for comment.