Catalan donkey
Encyclopedia
The Catalan donkey is the local donkey
of Catalonia
(North eastern Spain).
and the zamorano-llionés donkey. The race is considered to be very old, Pliny the Elder
mentioned that there were donkeys on the plain
of Vic
.
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 a 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 races of the donkey of Mallorca and the North African donkey. Its properties have contributed to improving donkey races elsewhere in the world.
have adopted the Catalan donkey as a symbol opposite the Toro de Osborne, typical for Castile
and Andalusia
.
There are also sticker
s 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.
Donkey
The donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus, is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass, E...
of Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
(North eastern Spain).
History
The Catalan donkey is a subspecies of the donkeys from which the donkeys of the middle east and Europe originated. The Catalan donkey is related to the donkey of MallorcaMallorca
Majorca or Mallorca is an island located in the Mediterranean Sea, one of the Balearic Islands.The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Cabrera Archipelago is administratively grouped with Majorca...
and the zamorano-llionés donkey. The race is considered to be very old, Pliny the Elder
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
mentioned that there were donkeys on the plain
Plain
In geography, a plain is land with relatively low relief, that is flat or gently rolling. Prairies and steppes are types of plains, and the archetype for a plain is often thought of as a grassland, but plains in their natural state may also be covered in shrublands, woodland and forest, or...
of Vic
Vic
Vic is the capital of the comarca of Osona, in the Barcelona Province, Catalonia, Spain. Vic's location, only 69 km far from Barcelona and 60 km from Girona, has made it one of the most important towns in central Catalonia.-History:...
.
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 a 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
Pack animal
A pack animal or beast of burden is a working animal used by humans as means of transporting materials by attaching them so their weight bears on the animal's back; the term may be applied to either an individual animal or a species so employed...
.
It is one of the base races of the donkey of Mallorca and the North African donkey. Its properties have contributed to improving donkey races 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.
- Fur: 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
Recently, advocats of Catalan nationalismNationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
have adopted the Catalan donkey as a symbol opposite the Toro de Osborne, typical for Castile
Castile (historical region)
A former kingdom, Castile gradually merged with its neighbours to become the Crown of Castile and later the Kingdom of Spain when united with the Crown of Aragon and the Kingdom of Navarre...
and Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
.
There are also sticker
Sticker
A sticker is a type of a piece of paper or plastic, adhesive, sticky on one side, and usually with a design on the other. They can be used for decoration, depending on the situation. They can come in many different shapes, sizes and colours and are put on things such as lunchboxes, in children's...
s 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 race
- Fuives - world center of the Catalan donkey