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Characteristics

Size: 12 hands (122 cm). Colour: Tan to grey with a grey/white underbelly, inner thighs, and muzzle; the ear surround is dark, as are the tips of the mane; a dorsal stripe and cross (a darker stripe that runs along the spine and across the shoulders).

Found throughout Ethiopia and bred in captivity worldwide, the Abyssinian donkey lives mainly in desert areas that vary from below sea level to 2,300 ft (700 m) above, where the rainfall seldom exceeds 7¾ in (200 mm) a year. The breed has developed the ability to survive on poor-quality grasses and forage plants. It tends to live in small groups of up to five animals, the number depending on available food and water. In some areas the Abyssinian is used for food and its milk is drunk for its health-giving properties. The donkeys often have to compete with domestic livestock for food and water.

The Abyssinian is currently a critically endangered breed. In conservation areas, it is used for transporting all manner of goods, from food and water to fuel and heavy building materials. It is not an easy life. The Donkey Sanctuary and other international organizations do whatever they can to help these animals and advise their owners on better health care.