Donkey

Donkeys and asses have been domesticated for a very long time, and have been a great help to humans in their everyday lives all over the world. The value and contribution of donkeys and asses have been documented throughout history, including the Bible. They have been used as working mules as well as in transportation and agriculture. Their population has declined drastically over the past years due to human activities. Some of the species of donkeys and asses are considered endangered.

Here are some examples of species that have already been categorized as endangered:

Provence Donkey – these are considered a unique breed that can be traced to the Basse-Provence, Haute Provence, and Dauphin regions of France. The shepherds in the area developed this breed to help them while they tended to their sheep. They are also known as Migration Donkeys, Crau Donkey, Savoie Donkey, and Aries Donkey. As of 1993, there were only 330 Provence Donkeys recorded.

Catalan Donkey – also known as Ruc Catala, is local to Catalonia, Spain. They are considered the best donkey species in the world and have won best in several donkey shows. But as of today, there are around 500 of these left.

Andalusia Donkey – these are from the Cordoba, in Andalusia, Spain. Also known as the donkey of Lucena breed, they are considered as one of the oldest breeds that can be traced back to 3000 years ago.

Baudet de Poitou – these are unique-looking mammals known by different types of names such as Mammoth Donkey, the Poitevin Donkey, Poitou Ass and Poitou Donkey. They used to be common in the Poitou region of France. They are the oldest breed known in France, known to be affectionate and friendly.

African Wild Ass – known to be the ancestor of the domestic donkeys. They are endemic in the desert and arid areas of Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia. There are about 570 asses left in the wild.

Woolly Paramo Donkey – these are prevalent in the elevated regions of Columbia, at 3000 meters in altitude.

Albino Donkey – also known as the White Donkey, they originated from Asinara, Sardinia and in Italian they are known as Asino Albino or Asinello Bianco. There are only about 90 albino donkeys left.

Somali Wild Ass – similar to the African Wild Ass, these are also found in the Red Sea of Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia. The legs of this animal have horizontal black stripes like a zebra’s. There are 150 that can be found in zoos.

Balkan Donkey – from the Balkans, there are around 100 left in the Zasavica Reserve, Sremska, Mitrovica in Serbia. They are responsible for the production of the most expensive cheese known to man, the Pule cheese.

Photo: http://i883.photobucket.com/albums/ac36/jjed1/donkey.jpg

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