A West Australian grazier's lengthy legal struggle to keep feral donkeys on his property has concluded, but he remains hopeful for a resolution. Kachana Pastoral Company, located in the remote Kimberley region, has been ordered to cull 117 donkeys after the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) denied their request to retain the animals. The ruling mandates that at least 70 donkeys must be culled by August 31, 2024, with the remaining animals to be removed by August 31, 2027.

Chris Henggeler, the grazier, along with his business partner Danny Waser and their families, have expressed their desire to find a compromise with regulatory authorities. "I've never wanted confrontation and I don't believe we need confrontation," Henggeler stated. He likened the situation to a marriage, emphasizing the importance of collaboration over conflict. "Until the viability of our [donkey] population has been impaired and we can't use them as a management tool anymore, I'm still optimistic we can have collaboration."

Feral donkeys are classified as agricultural pests in Western Australia due to their potential to cause erosion and damage vegetation. In August 2021, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development issued a pest control notice to Kachana, requiring the culling of the donkeys. The station has consistently argued that the animals were being managed effectively and sought a review of the decision. However, the SAT's recent ruling upheld the pest control notice.

If an agreement is not reached by July 2026, Kachana plans to enlist the help of the Kimberley Rangelands Biosecurity Association (KRBA) to carry out the culling. Henggeler has stated he will not personally participate in the culling process. "I'm not going to shoot animals that have actually helped me get the results I'm getting," he said. He expressed concern about replacing herbivores with fire as a management tool.

Henggeler has lived on Kachana Station for over 30 years and believes the land has significantly improved due to the presence of feral donkeys and cattle. He described the transformation, stating, "The area where we settled, which was the worst country, is now comparable to a dairy farm over east. We've got flowing streams in a lot of the seasonally dry erosion gullies. I don't think you need a PhD to see the difference between a dry erosion gully and a flowing stream."

KRBA executive officer Dick Pasfield raised concerns about Kachana's management of the donkey population. He noted that when they first met with Kachana in early 2018, the donkeys were largely unmanaged. "Despite the many positive things you can find online about the project, there was actually no formal or scientific research ever carried out over its lifetime," Pasfield said. He supported the tribunal's decision, stating it sends a clear message about the seriousness of biosecurity issues.

The tribunal's findings indicated that Kachana's case relied heavily on anecdotal evidence rather than specific data. It questioned how the lush environment in the rangelands could be attributed solely to the presence of donkeys, given that cattle also graze in the same areas. The tribunal suggested that DPIRD and KRBA could collaborate with Kachana to study the impact of donkey grazing.

Henggeler acknowledged the need for formal research but mentioned that Kachana has limited resources. "We can't afford to do all the science," he said. He expressed willingness to share results and allow others to analyze their findings. Henggeler also called for a broader investigation into the benefits of using large herbivores to restore degraded landscapes. A spokesperson for DPIRD stated that the department would work with Kachana regarding the pest control notice requirements.