This last year has been very much a learning curve for me, and the topic which we are going to discuss today is donkeys, or burros as they are often called. I began to donate some money to the fantastic International Society for the Protection of Mustangs and Burros at the beginning of last year, and they have provided me with some fascinating information about these delightful little creatures. The donkey is often given a bad rep, but they are in fact amazing creatures and today we are going to cover some things which you may not have known about these animals.
Ancestors
Did you know that the donkeys which we find around the world are in fact descendants of the wild ass which was originally found in Africa. The Latin name for this beast is Equss Africanus, and it seems that their descendants have managed to travel pretty darn far indeed.
Millions
In total there are over 44 million donkeys which exist around the world. What many people aren’t aware of is that the nation which has the most donkeys in it is China, where the largest population of the beasts reside.
Amazing Memory
When people refer to donkeys as not being too smart, they are actually far away from the truth here. Donkeys are known for having an outstanding memory and they can in fact remember a place and/or a person from as long back as 25 years ago. Now that is a memory which we would all like to have.
Making The Most of It
Given the fact that burros so very often live in dry, desert-like conditions, food and drink are often incredibly scarce. In order to survive then, the donkey will in fact make use of 95% of the nutrients which they take in. This is what has helped the animals to survive such torrid conditions throughout their existence.
Outstanding Hearing
You may think that a donkey has great hearing because of those big, floppy ears which they have. In actual fact however those ears are designed so that they can stay cool in the sweltering desert conditions. Donkeys do have great hearing however and as long as the conditions are right, they can actual hear things which are happening 60 miles away. You’d better not get caught talking badly about them, no matter how far away you are!
Long Life Span
Not all large animals have a long life span but if donkeys are properly taken care of or if they grow in conditions where there is plenty to eat and the temperature is right, they can in fact live until they are 40 years old. In terms of the animal kingdom this is in fact a very long time indeed.
So there you have it, 6 incredible facts about the humble donkey which you maybe never knew before. Do you have any other cool facts about the burro? Let us know in the comments.
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