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