Donkey
The donkey is a domesticated member of the horse family, popularly used as a pack animal.
Kingdom - Animalia
Phylum - Chordata
Class - Mammalia
Order - Perissodactyla
Family - Equidae
Genus - Equus
Species & Subspecies – E. africanus acinus
Common Names – Donkey
Donkeys are renowned for their stubbornness. They are more hesitant than most horses to follow directions they believe might result in danger. However, a donkey that has built a trusting relationship with its owner will be more willing to follow their leads.
Donkeys are hoofed mammals similar to horses, though they are typically stockier and more compact in their proportions. They usually have bristle-like, erect manes and large ears. The size of donkeys, along with their coat coloration and thickness, is dependent on breed. Commonly, the coat is brownish or grayish, with shaggier fur than most horse breeds.
Donkeys are fully domesticated versions of the African wild ass. Feral donkey populations exist, but these are descended from formerly domesticated donkeys.
The donkey was first domesticated around 6,000 years ago in Africa, specifically in Nubia, and were quickly adopted as important pack animals in Ancient Egypt.
Donkeys are popular working animals in developing countries, where they are used for transportation, to carry cargo, and to aid in agricultural harvesting. In some areas they are also used to guard sheep.
The wild ancestor of the donkey, the African wild ass, is Critically Endangered. Conversely, there are believed to be around 40 million donkeys in the world currently.