A Bessemer, Mich., man is facing an animal cruelty charge connected to donkeys placed at his cattle farm as part of a state of Michigan program.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Wildlife Biologist and Wolf Specialist Brian Roell said that since 2010 the Michigan DNR has been placing full-sized or giant donkeys at cattle farms around the state. The donkeys are used to prevent wolves from attacking cattle herds, Roell said.

“The donkeys actually don’t like canids and do a good job of keeping the wolves away,” said Roell. “It’s actually more of a bluff on the donkey’s part, but some farmers have told us that the donkeys work too well in that they even keep farm dogs away from the herd.”

Roell said that in the past three years his agency has placed more than 20 donkeys with farmers statewide without incident. However the Michigan DNR recently took back one allegedly maltreated donkey from a cattle farm in Ontonagon County. The allegedly maltreated donkey was one of three animals placed with the same farmer; the other two donkeys allegedly died of neglect, Roell said