Donkeys: Amazing and Little-Known Companions

There are many members of the animal kingdom that have a bad reputation. But there's one that beats them all. It's described as stubborn, mean, lazy, cowardly, slow, and even stupid. The females are called jennies, and the males, jacks. They belong to the equine family and are cousins to horses and zebras. They are even distantly related to the rhino. We're talking, of course, about donkeys. For more than 20,000 years, these funny beasts have had a place in our lives. Firstly, they were solitary desert-dwelling animals, but soon became steadfast companions to people. The donkey was domesticated around 8,000 years ago and has some surprising qualities. Donkeys are tireless workers like Dalton. They are judicious like the valiant snowflake, audacious like Geronimo, fearless like the imperturbable Kiki, and absolute sweethearts like Penelope, the miniature jenny. Through their stories, you will see that, unlike their reputation, donkeys are some of the smartest creatures on Earth. A summer morning on the edge of the Pyrenees, behind those dark eyes and finely chiseled muzzle, these four strong legs, and two long ears, hides a very effective herder. This morning, for the first time in his life, Geronimo has to lead 600 sheep and goats up to the pastures into bear territory. Thanks to their group instincts, donkeys are perfectly suited to looking after a flock. Their endurance and acuity make them valuable partners for shepherds. But Geronimo isn't alone in guiding the animals. He's working with two highly experienced jennies called Babylon and Licorice. He's also accompanied by two Pyrenean mountain dogs that have worked with shepherds since time immemorial. And slightly more unusual, a llama, who will bring up the rear and wait for the stragglers. The donkeys of the Sahara that opened the route for the caravans, the three donkeys lead the way. The sheep and goats follow on their heels. But when they start to climb, the donkeys stop. The flock is too slow, and they have lost eye contact. Their group instinct is so well developed that they won't leave until visual contact has been re-established. After an hour's walking, Geronimo takes the lead. If he gets too far ahead, he's called to order by Babylon, the old jenny, who instinctively wants the threesome to stick together. Behind them, the llama is bringing up the rear, while the sheepdogs stick around in the middle of the flock. The sheep and goats have finally established the right pace. They make good time on this open path. But with the recent snowmelt, the path is covered with rocks, preventing them from reaching the summer pastures. In the chaos, the sheep and goats get confused. They won't leave until the donkeys have established the right way. Out front, Geronimo continues with caution. Each step is carefully measured. People often say that donkeys are slow. In fact, they're simply cautious. The donkeys advance head down. Because of the lateral position of their eyes, they can't see what is under their noses. Up ahead, they have reached the end of the scree. The signal is given. The herding instincts of these prudent creatures has guided the flock to safety. The family is back together. Further east, the herding instinct is also well installed within this family. A family of miniature donkeys. Penelope, a young jenny with a red coat, is just five months old. She will soon become someone's pet. Yes, a pet like all the other little ones on this farm. It's like a little nursery for them. Miniature donkeys have been bred through genetic selection that began in the 19th century. They are no more than 90 centimeters tall and are the perfect pet for human beings looking for a unique companion. After 13 months of gestation, they're born weighing around 10 kilos, and they drink between three and six liters of milk every day. In less than 30 minutes, the foals are on their feet and galloping within 48 hours. The youngsters stay close to their mothers and learn by imitating their every move. This mimicry is characteristic of donkeys. They're docile and affectionate and make the perfect companions for anyone who falls in love with their sweet little teddy bear faces. Like most of this year's foals, Penelope has already been sold. At just five months, she's barely weaned and still likes to stay close to her mother. But today, she's leaving home and heading off for a new life. Donkeys are highly sensitive, and the attachment between parents and their foals is very strong. Penelope's mother's brain clearly illustrates this. We know that for animals, separation is a painful event, and one that they remember. This sudden departure will provoke a surprising hormonal reaction in her mother who will start ovulating in a matter of hours, ready to bring a new life into this world to replace Penelope. Far away from the Var region, this Poitou donkey has found an unlikely new family to whom he is very close. These Britton cart horses are his distant cousins. For the past three years, this donkey, called Kiki by the loggers, has lived with them. Despite their clear physical differences, they share some of the same genes and together form a band that is known across the region, the famous logging horses. These horses weigh in at 850 kilos and stand 1 meter 75 to the withers. They're built like houses. Kiki weighs just 340 kilos and stands 1 meter 55, but size isn't everything. With his calmness, intelligence, and composure, he's a perfect ally for the loggers. Because like all donkeys, nothing scares him. When they start work, they cut trees all around Kiki to show him that he isn't in danger. By nature, donkeys tend to remain calm in the face of danger. Even among all this chaos, he barely twitches an ear. It's a very different story for the horses. They are fearful by nature and could bolt or become uncontrollable in such situations. To reassure the horse, the loggers have an infallible solution. They attach the horse beside the donkey for a few moments, and the donkey's calm produces an immediately reassuring effect. Now that the horse is calm, it can work. First, for the heavy guns. The horses are the ideal workers for pulling up trees. Britain cart horses have the perfect physique for the job. Thick-set and solid, with a very low center of gravity and short muscular legs, they can easily use their hindquarters for this heavy work. But they can't repeat such intense effort multiple times. So they bring in the calm power of the indefatigable donkey, perfectly capable of keeping the pace. Their straighter backs make donkeys suppler, and they grow less tired. And the evidence is clear. Weight for weight, the donkey is more powerful than the horse. And while horses are more suited to a single task, a donkey's ability to work, etched into its DNA, means it can turn its hoof to any job it is asked. Donkeys are able to work alone. Once Kiki has memorized the route, he can skid the branches through the chipper without the need for supervision. Thanks to their intelligence, their memory, and their imperviousness, of all the working animals on Earth, donkeys are the most precious allies to humankind. The astonishing aptitudes of Poitou donkeys are also shared by their tall, black cousins in the Bairi region, who enjoy a reputation for endurance and finesse. This donkey, called Dalton by its owner, has just turned four and is entering adolescence. He recently started learning how to work in a market garden. These donkeys work with farmers who are opting for an approach that is more respectful of the environment. In Mazière de Touraine, in this farm in the middle of a prairie, tractors are banned. At one meter sixty tall, this Grand Noir de Bairi donkey is cut out for a working life. By nature, donkeys are suspicious and require patience and a gentle hand in order to be tamed. Quentin the farmer is talented in this respect. Donkeys have two skills that make them particularly suited to working on smaller plots. Their narrow torso means they can slip through smaller spaces, and their gait, unique in the animal world, makes them ideal for traction. Like models on catwalks, donkeys cross their feet when they walk. As such, they can follow a straight line just centimeters across and walk up and down tightly spaced rows. A donkey's hooves subtly work the soil, breaking down and aerating the earth, while never damaging it. They may be docile, but donkeys are insatiable herbivores. Donkeys are so greedy that they can eat for sixteen hours a day. For Dalton, the learning process is a long one. In the Aspa Valley, home to the famous Pyrenean donkeys, the animals are taught their future trade from an early age. They will be pack donkeys for hiking. Thanks to their exceptional sense of direction, long legs distinct from their trunk, and a compact body, Pyrenean donkeys are born to hike. On this farm, the females reproduce, and the males are for hiking. The foals grow up alongside their very protective mothers. As such, they have no fear of predators, and can sleep lying down for up to six hours a day. The young males grow up within the herd until the age of two, when they are separated from the females. Left to themselves, the colts can assert themselves, test their strength, and develop their characters. One of them will become the future stallion for breeding. The other, less hot-headed colts will be gelded, and will become pack donkeys. In this group, this donkey, which is two and a half years old, has the perfect shape and an Olympian calm that makes him perfect for hiking. But before being able to work with tourists, Snowflake must pass a full-scale exam. The safety of the future hikers will depend on his skills, so they need to be able to count on him, whatever the terrain. Snowflake is treading on tarmac for the first time. The rounded hoof of a donkey has evolved to walk on dry earth. The shiny cobbles of the village present a new challenge for him. Donkeys don't have waterproof skin like horses, and they hate rain because it makes their muscles tighten. Snowflake handles the first challenges of the route without a problem, but this disused railway bridge is a major trial. Many of his predecessors failed here and never became hiking donkeys. The river is frightening with the noisy water and strange ground, and these prudent creatures never wander into a terrain they consider to be dangerous. And there's no point in trying to force him. Better to reassure him so he understands the situation is not dangerous, and eventually decides to advance. Donkeys do not naturally do as they are told. They say that donkeys can be educated, but not trained. In any case, Snowflake passes his first day's test with flying colors. Now it's upwards into the mountains. A few valleys away, Geronimo, the guardian angel of the flock, is also still learning. Donkeys are such valuable guards for the flock because they have a secret weapon. The most famous ears in the animal world. What if the arrival of the sheep and goats triggered the curiosity of a local bear? The dogs are always on high alert for threatening scents, but in these huge mountains it's difficult to identify, let alone locate, anything or anyone. But a donkey's ears can turn 180 degrees like radars, simultaneously picking up sounds in multiple directions. Their hearing is so acutely developed that they can pick up a bear's footstep if need be. And if that were to happen, the dog would immediately move the flock to safety. The donkey is the only equine to never flee from danger. By instinct, it would challenge a bear to scare it off. Fortunately, for now, there's nothing to worry about. The coast is clear. The donkeys can go back to their long, nuzzling sessions that are essential to their well-being. These sociable animals cannot live alone. They simply wouldn't survive. And that's the challenge facing Penelope, the miniature jenny who's going to have to create a new family for herself. Celeste and Olympia, the two jennies, and the dwarf goats who are staying here have sensed the arrival of the newcomer. Although donkeys are normally very welcoming to their own, their sense of territory is so highly developed that intruders must show that they belong in order to gain access to the inner circle. Penelope tries to make contact vocally at first, but it doesn't work. Guided by her herding instinct, she won't be defeated. But you can't force things, so she'll wait for a better moment to make contact with the others. Meanwhile, Penelope's curiosity gets the better of her, and she sets off to explore her new home. As she discovers this new environment, she establishes references, both visual and audio. But the welcome from the other residents still leaves a lot to be desired. Donkeys are naturally hydrophobic, no doubt an ancient memory of when their predators in the desert would lie in wait at the rare watering holes. But now, Penelope has strayed a little too far. She no longer has any olfactory, visual, or audio references. Like her ancestor, the solitary donkey of the desert, she brays, calling out for her kind. For adult donkeys, this unique sound can express up to 20 different emotions, and it has a range of around 5 kilometers. But right now, she's getting no answer to her calls. Now, Snowflake the hiking donkey is going to have to call upon his exceptional memory to remember the route he's taking. This 300 meter drop is a good visual reference. Luckily, donkeys don't suffer from vertigo. Snowflake has no trouble memorizing the path, step by step. Even on a 45 degree slope, donkeys are sure-footed as ever. Thanks to their exceptional balance, they are the only equines capable of letting themselves slide down several meters. Snowflake's reward is a break and an ear massage. The ears are the most sensitive part of a donkey. These amazing organs, filled with nerve endings, also have an unexpected function as a thermostat, regulating the donkey's body temperature. From now on, in this remote place, two hours from any kind of help, they need to be extra careful. Suddenly, Snowflake stops in his tracks. A donkey never stops without a good reason. How did Snowflake know those rocks were about to fall? What kind of mysterious sixth sense did he use? Fortunately, not all the surprises on a hike are so unpleasant. The only animals donkeys don't like are canids. So when Snowflake meets these little black beegor pigs, he doesn't raise an eyebrow. They have reached the refuge. Snowflake has succeeded in his mission, and every detail of the route is etched into his memory for the rest of his life. On average, around 35 years. And he will never forget. Now it's time for Geronimo, the sheep donkey, to use his infallible memory, because when the sheep need supplies, it's the donkeys that fetch them. Geronimo, this is a big step. The return trip should take four hours, if everything goes well, that is. Because this mission is not without its dangers. Carried away by his enthusiasm, he races down the slope, galloping as best he can. Donkeys struggle to manage this unstable pace, where all feet are off the ground at the same time. Thanks to his amazing memory, and the references he noted on the way up, Geronimo easily finds the way. Geronimo has made it successfully, and gets there in time to meet the grocer. Donkeys are so strong that they can carry more than half their body weight for a whole day. The load simply has to be properly balanced. A nice scratch of the ear is his reward, along with some encouraging words for the trip back. But this hungry dog is patiently waiting for the donkey's return. Now he wants his share. Canids are a donkey's worst enemy, and this one clearly has no idea what he's risking. The more he barks, the more he irritates Geronimo, who isn't afraid of him in the slightest. Ears back and head down, Geronimo adopts a classic equine fighting position. The dog has no choice but to flee. He's got no chance against the donkey. Geronimo wins. Now he can get on his way back to the shepherd's hut, up on high ground. As for Penelope, the miniature donkey, it's finally time to make proper contact with her new stablemates. Jean-Benoit has come up with a plan. Donkeys have a powerful instinct to mimic their own kind. Foals imitate bigger donkeys, who then consider them part of the family. If only Penelope could copy the bigger donkeys, they might take her under their wing. Go! She expresses her frustration at being tied up, and her desire to copy the others. Let's go then. At first, she's hesitant. Chaotic, even. But Olympia and Celeste reveal their curiosity through the characteristic movements of their ears and heads. Jean-Benoit is confident and pursues his strategy to the next level. He washes Penelope to give her the same odor as the others, which should help them connect. All brushed and beautiful, the little foal tries her luck once again, irresistibly attracted to her own kind. With donkeys, odors provide information about their emotional state. They greet one another with breaths, blowing into each other's ears. For donkeys, this is a sign of recognition. Penelope has officially been adopted. Now she has a new family. Gentle and affectionate, she will go on to delight her new owners. Like Kiki, the logger donkey, who in addition to his invaluable calm, has proved to be a talented cart donkey, the pride of his breeder. Like Dalton, too, the market gardener donkey, who is simultaneously honing his qualities of endurance and finesse. Like Geronimo, the intrepid sheep donkey, a hardy creature and faithful companion of the mountain shepherd. And like Snowflake, the hiking donkey, who will never forget the faces and voices of these hikers, traveling companions he will never abandon.