About the Donkey

Donkeys today come in all shapes, sizes, colours and coat texture. The most common coat colour is grey, followed by brown and then black, roan and broken coloured donkeys (a combination of brown-and-white or black-and-white markings) and the rarest colour is pure white.

Many different colours, sizes and shapes of donkeys can be seen as you walk around the Sanctuary but the most noticeable is probably the difference between the resident herd and the Poitou donkeys. They originate from France and stand at 14 to 15 hands, they have a thick coat which traditionally is matted and tangled and is bay in colour.

The domestic donkey's ancestors were wild asses from Africa. The African branch of the subgenus were found between the Mediterranean coast and the Sahara Desert to the south of the Red Sea. There were two separate subspecies: the Nubian wild ass and the Somali wild ass. The Asiatic branch of the subgenus came from a much larger area stretching from the Red Sea to Northern India and Tibet where the ass had to adapt to different climate, terrain and altitude.

Consequently there is more than one subspecies of Asiatic wild ass. The further east the ass was found, the larger, heavier and stronger the animal became. Sadly some of these original subspecies are now extinct, due to loss of habitat, poaching and competition with domestic animals.

Donkeys were among the draught animals used to carry silk from the Pacific Ocean to the Mediterranean along the 'Silk Road' in return for trade goods. The overland route was approximately 6,400km and lasted several years. No single animal completed the entire journey and mixing of breeds occurred as unplanned matings happened en-route. The journey ended in the Mediterranean ports of Greece, Italy, the Middle East and Alexandria in Egypt. In Greece donkeys were found to be ideal animals for working on the narrow paths between the vines. Their use for cultivation in vineyards spread through the Mediterranean countries to Spain, whose coast at the southern tip is separated from North Africa by only a few miles - possibly another entry route for the African wild ass.

The Roman Army was responsible for the movement of donkeys into Northern Europe. Donkeys were used in agriculture and as pack animals. The Romans used donkeys in their new vineyards, some planted as far north as France and Germany. Donkeys came to England with the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 43.