A much-maligned beast of burden and means of transport

WHEN hearing someone constantly repeating himself, I have often muttered to myself: ‘Stupid ass’!

Upon reflection I have mistakenly taken this now domesticated equine’s name in vain.

This animal was once wild and in some parts of the world remains so but the animals we know are domesticated as seen in draught animals in many less privileged countries and especially in the Middle East, southern Europe, and throughout Africa.

On Christmas Day, I regularly look at the Christmas cards that I have received from relatives and friends and this year I particularly noticed the number of stable scenes depicting the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. Nearly every one showed a donkey, especially if they were copies of paintings by early Italian Renaissance artists.

This lowly noble animal carried the pregnant Mary on her journey to Bethlehem and later bore Mary and her newborn babe together with Joseph on their flight to Egypt to escape the cruel Herod’s orders to slaughter newborn sons. Thirty-three years later, so the Holy Bible tells us, Jesus rides in triumph into Jerusalem on a donkey to be welcomed by people waving palm fronds on what we remember today as Palm Sunday.

In the last couple of years, we have witnessed thousands of Palestinians fleeing from the ravages of war in Gaza, with many riding on overloaded carts drawn by donkeys.

World War I saw thousands of donkeys carrying ammunition and military gear to the battlefronts with many of these animals killed in action. More recently, they have been used for the same purpose in Afghanistan and the Ukraine.

The modern domesticated donkey’s ancestors were of the Nubian and Somalian species of African wild ass with remains found in Egypt dating back to 6,000 years before the present.

Two thousand years later, they had spread to Southwest Asia and later, throughout the Greek and Roman empires to Europe.

Christopher Columbus brought the first domesticated donkeys to the Americas in 1495 and they were much used in the southern USA as pack and draught animals during the Gold Rush times with many escaping to create feral herds today living in the wild in remote mountainous areas.

Twenty years ago, it was estimated that there were 185 breeds of donkey, totalling 41 million worldwide.

At that time, China possessed 11 million, but by 2017, this had fallen to only three million. This was due to the slaughter of donkeys for their meat for human consumption together with the demand for ‘ejiao’.

The latter is a delicacy sold in Chinese traditional medicine shops and is made of gelatine produced by soaking and stewing donkey hides.

Donkey skins trade on the world market with at least two million sold each year.

China has looked to Africa for donkey meat and Kenya responded by opening three donkey abattoirs.

In developed countries, donkey welfare has become a great concern and retired donkey sanctuaries have been established.

The largest is in the UK, situated only 40km from my home.

This sanctuary also supports donkey welfare projects in Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, and Mexico.

Distinctive features of Equus asinus

The size of a donkey is related to its breed and the quality of the environment in which it lives with the average animal standing at 102cm at its shoulder and weighing about 250kg.

The Sicilian donkey, one of the smallest breeds, weighs about 113kg to 181kg and stands at 66cm, whilst the largest breed, the American Mammoth Jackstock, measures 142cm and weighs 544kg.

A donkey’s colouration ranges from white to grey or near black with a dark stripe running along its back and a diagonal stripe from shoulder-to-shoulder cross-like.

With a very short and upright mane, its tail has long hairs at the end making it look more cow-like than horse-like. Its ears are very long and darker at the base and tips.

Very sure-footed, these animals can carry heavy loads over rough terrain such as those found in mountainous areas.

They also have very loud brays lasting 20 seconds for each burst, which can carry over a distance of 3km.

Breeding

Female donkeys (jennies) experience a pregnancy lasting between 11 months and 14 months, usually giving birth to a single foal if they are lucky because conception rates for this animal are very low.

A working donkey, in more mountainous regions, has a life expectancy of 12 to 15 years, but in kinder regions, this may reach from 30 to 50 years.

Intelligence and stubbornness

Their cognitive abilities are well demonstrated in the environments in which they work. Their stubbornness is related to their self-preservation when required to carry heavy loads over difficult terrain and are prone to kick hard at their handlers with their front or back legs in the air.

This stubbornness is thought to be a donkey’s way of catching its breath whilst pausing on a trail or to assess the terrain ahead.

Donkeys are renowned for memories; responses to commands, directions, events, places, and people enabling them to follow well-worn trails; and to find food and shelter.

If arriving at an unfamiliar place, their first instinct is to seek water.

Working donkeys are always very cautious of their handlers, especially if they have been treated badly.

If placed in sanctuaries later in their lives, they adapt well to their new environment after a period of settling in and become quite amiable, meek, and mild when greeting their grooms or visitors, even becoming playful!

Guard animals

It is because of their loud bray and protective instincts, donkeys are used as livestock guards, protecting sheep from predators in Australia, Canada, and the USA and will readily attack predators with their damaging kicks.

They are also known for their calming effect on horses and thus, may be seen to be grazing alongside each other. Many horse foals find companionship with donkeys after weaning.

Treat a donkey well and it will gradually become a loving companion.

Many of the derogative comments I heard from teachers, 70 years ago, directed at fellow students such as ‘You Donkey!’ or ‘You jackass!’, I find difficult to forget but I can only ascribe them to the ignorance of the teachers for not knowing the cognitive abilities and intelligence that these animals possess!

Postscript

As I am approaching my 80th birthday and now having contributed nearly 500 articles for this column since 2008 when I worked in Kuching, I have decided the mantle of this column should now be placed in the hands of a younger, more imaginative person as from 2026.

May I most sincerely thank the various editors of thesundaypost, distributors, printers, and moreover the weekly readers for bearing with me over the last 17 years.

As you all well know, the subject of nature in all its forms is very dear to me and particularly, the wildlife of the third largest island in the world – Borneo – which I first visited over three decades ago in Sabah!

I shall return for my now annual pilgrimage to Sarawak in 2026.

Both Malaysian states are very dear to me.

Finally, I wish you all a more peaceful and happier year in 2026 than our wider world has experienced in 2025.