Thüringer Waldesel

The Thüringer Waldesel or Thuringian Forest Donkey is a recently created German breed of domestic donkey.

Thuringian Forest Donkey
Conservation statusDAD-IS (2021): critical[1]
Other names
  • Thuringian Forest Donkey
  • Mülleresel[2]: 48 
  • Steinesel[2]: 48 
  • Mitteldeutscher Steinesel
Country of originGermany
Traits
Weight
  • Male:
    133–210 kg[3]: 30 
  • Female:
    156–185 kg[3]: 30 
Height
  • Male:
    100–110 cm[3]: 30 
  • Female:
    95–110 cm[3]: 30 
Coatstone-grey with shoulder-stripe and eel stripe[3]: 30 

History

The Thüringer Waldesel derives from a small group of miscellaneous donkeys collected in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and West Thuringia, supplemented with similar-looking donkeys brought from the United Kingdom, and bred both at the Thüringer Zoopark Erfurt at Erfurt in Thuringia, and at the Wildpark Hundshaupten in Egloffstein in Bavaria.[2]: 48  In 2019 the breeding programme was approved by the Landesbetrieb Landwirtschaft Hessen, and the Thüringer Waldesel was recognised as a breed. Seven jennies and two jacks were registered in the stud-book.[4] As there are very few of the donkeys, the breed is reported to DAD-IS as critically endangered.[1]

Characteristics

The Thüringer Waldesel is of medium size. Jacks stand 100–110 cm at the withers, and weigh about 133–210 kg; jennies stand some 95–110 cm, and weigh 156–185 kg.[3]: 30  The coat is usually stone-grey, with dark shoulder-stripe and eel stripe; the legs often display zebra stripes.[3]: 30 

References
  1. Breed data sheet: Thüringer Waldesel / Germany (Ass). Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed March 2021.
  2. Valerie Porter, Lawrence Alderson, Stephen J.G. Hall, D. Phillip Sponenberg (2016). Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding (sixth edition). Wallingford: CABI. ISBN 9781780647944.
  3. Waltraud Kugler, Hans-Peter Grunenfelder, Elli Broxham (2008). Donkey Breeds in Europe: Inventory, Description, Need for Action, Conservation; Report 2007/2008. St. Gallen, Switzerland: Monitoring Institute for Rare Breeds and Seeds in Europe. Archived 2 September 2009.
  4. Berichte der GEH-Koordinatoren 2019 (in German). Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen. Accessed March 2021.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.