Donkey Breeds in Europe - Safeguard for Agricultural Varieties in ...

Risk Status 1995 2000
unknown 6 9
critical 7 5
critical-maintained 0 0
endangered 0 5
endangered- maintained 0 1
Not at risk 3 3
extinct 0 4
Total 16 27
Tab. 2: Risk Status of Donkeys in Europe and worldwide in 1995 and 2000
The FAO set criteria to classify the degree of endangerment of a breed are as follows:
Extinct no sires and/or mares for breeding remaining
Critical mares � 100; sires � 5
Endangered mares � 1000; sires � 20
Not at risk mares > 1000; sires > 20
Again, it is clear that between 1995 and 2000 (in Europe) that an effort had been
made to find or to officially recognise donkey breeds. Four (Italian) breeds have
gone extinct. Further, it is noticeable that at least one breed is protected by an active
conservation (endangered-maintained). This is the only livestock species in
Europe that DAD-IS shows so often (> 35 %) as having the endangerment status
of “unknown”
Fig. 3 Distribution of identified breeds in the FAO
DAD-IS database
A summary of the data (as of end
2007) shows the following results:
Of the 41 listed breeds 15 have no
information about the breed and/or no
stock data.
Four breeds are declared extinct
(Italy)
17 breeds have definite stock data
(Italy 10, Spain 6, Albania (from
1994!) 1).
Five further breeds (Poitou – France,
Cyprus Donkey – Cyprus; 3 Croatian
breeds - Croatia) rough data such as
”< 100” or “1000-10000” are available.
A comprehensive overview of the
livestock breeds of the world is provided by ”A World Dictionary of Lifestock
Breeds, Types and Varieties” by I.L. Mason. Here one can find 114 donkey breeds
listed. 56 - roughly half – are to be found in Europe. However, even this comprehensive
work cannot be complete because breeds and breed names exist in a dynamic
situation of constant change as, for example, the Wallon donkey, listed in
DAD-IS as a “breed under development” shows.
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