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

L'Âne de L'Ile de Ré
On the island Ré, of the French Atlantic coast
near La Rochelle, an old tradition is in place.
The donkeys are given „trousers“ to wear, a
kind of long gaitor made from plain or checked
material. These “trousers” are to protect the
donkey from mosquito bites. The donkeys were
used for the salt harvest in the salt marshes
and to gather kelp from the beaches. This kelp
was then used as fertiliser on the fields of the
island. These days the tradition is only used as
a tourist attraction and as ancient custom.
Usually Poitou donkeys are used.
M. Léau - les Anes en Culotte; 32 bis, route
des Chaignes; F-17740 Ste Marie de Ré; Tél. :
06.08.57.25.94 (GSM); Fax/répondeur : 05.46.27.19.74;
E-mail : info@ane-en-culotte.com; Web:http://www.ane-en-culotte.com/default.htm
Ane corse
Description: The small Corsican donkey was already to be found on Corsica in
Babylonian times. It derives from the African donkey (Equus asinus africanus).
In 1930 c. 20'000 animals were registered, today there are only 1000. Corsican
donkeys were used as water carriers by shepherds, as pack animals during the
olive and grape harvests but also for meat and sausages. They are robust, resistant
to disease and are easy to look after.
Characteristics: grey or black, height at
withers 98cm. Through a modern
crossing-in of the Cataland donkey a
height of 1,20m - 1,30m has been
achieved. There are two types of
Corsican donkey in existence and
original and smaller grey and the
crossbred black, Today donkeys in
Corsica are most used as pack animals
for tourists. Neither the grey nor the
black are recognised as a breed. These
days, an organisation called "A
Runcada" works to promote the
conservation of the Ane corse.
Stock: unknown
Herdbook: yes
Risk Status: critical
Conservation programme: in progress
Contact: Association A Runcata; Daniel Lecomte;Torrighia; 20117 – CAURO; Email
: Titilecomte@aol.com ; Web: http://www.multimania.com/runcada
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