Poitou donkey

The Poitou donkey (French Baudet du Poitou ) is an endangered big donkey race, after the de Poitou ( Poitou-Charentes region, the capital of Poitiers) is named in western France.

The breed has been known since the 11th century, but probably originated earlier. It was common in south-western France. Today there are only a few pure cultures.

The stallions have a shoulder height of 140 to 150 cm, the mares are 135 to 145 cm high. The Poitou donkey looks bulky and often has a long, shaggy coat that is usually dark brown. Mouth, eye rims and belly are white-gray, with a reddish tint as a transition to dark brown fur that can sometimes also have a light brown color.

The breed was bred especially for field work and used in crosses with the Poitevin for growing unusually large mules and used here for military purposes. Nowadays Poitou donkeys are sometimes shown in the Zoological Gardens; in Germany they can be, for example, in the Tierpark Berlin, the Tiergarten Heidelberg, in the Wilhelma in Stuttgart, in the Hagenbeck Zoo in Münster Zoo, Nuremberg Zoo, the wildlife area Mundenhof near Freiburg, in the game park Lüneburg Heath, in the zoo in the city Nordhorn, see the Tiergarten Kleve, on the Ark animal Nature Life Ranch and in the Arche Warder. Some of the donkeys live in the nature reserve Steveraue in Olfen. There is also a breed is operated.

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