Catalan donkey

Catalan donkey

Catalan donkey
Country of origin	Catalonia
Donkey (Equus asinus)

The Catalan donkey (Catalan: ruc català; Eastern Catalan: [ˈruk kətəˈɫa], Western Catalan: [ˈruk kataˈla]; Equus asinus) is the local donkey of Catalonia (North eastern Spain/South eastern France). It is sometimes also called the Catalan ass.

History

The Catalan donkey is related to the donkey of Mallorca and the zamorano-llionés donkey. The breed is considered to be very old; Pliny the Elder mentioned that there were donkeys on the plain of Vic(Osona).^{[citation needed]}

In the past the donkey was very important on farms but due to declining use and numbers the Catalan donkey was in danger of extinction. There once were as many as 50.000, but these days there are only about 500 left, of which more than 100 are outside Catalonia.

After winning several shows and contests, the Catalan donkey is called 'the best donkey in the world', especially for pulling carts and as pack animal.

It is one of the base breeds of the donkey of Mallorca and the North American donkey. Its properties have contributed to improving donkey breeds elsewhere in the world.

Characteristics

• Height: ca. 1,65 m from feet to head. It is one of the tallest kind of donkeys.
• Weight: a full grown donkey can weigh up to 500 kg.
• Coat: in summer short and black hair all over the body up to its mouth, white from the eyes and on the belly. In winter longer chestnut colored hair all over the body.
• Ears: straight and pointy.
• Food: grass.
• Habitat: forests.

Symbolism

Slippers with a symbol of the catalan donkey.

Recently, advocats of Catalan nationalism have adopted the Catalan donkey as a symbol opposite the Toro de Osborne, typical for Castile and Andalusia.

There are also stickers for cars and scooters. A few people also do not regard the catalan donkey as a symbol of Catalonia, but only as a way to try ridicule the Castillian bull.

External links

• Local donkey races of Catalunya
• The Catalan donkey breed
• Fuives - world center of the Catalan donkey