The Balearic, ca, italic=no, Ase Balear, es, italic=no, Asno Balear, is a Spanish breed of

domestic donkey The domestic donkey is a hoofed mammal in the family Equidae, the same family as the horse. It derives from the African wild ass, ''Equus africanus'', and may be classified either as a subspecies thereof, ''Equus africanus asinus'', or as a ...

indigenous to the

autonomous community eu, autonomia erkidegoa ca, comunitat autònoma gl, comunidade autónoma oc, comunautat autonòma an, comunidat autonoma ast, comunidá autónoma , alt_name = , map = , category = Autonomous administra ...

of the Balearic Islands, in the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...

off the eastern coast of Spain. It is found mainly in Mallorca, the largest island of the group, and also in

Menorca Menorca or Minorca (from la, Insula Minor, , smaller island, later ''Minorica'') is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Majorca. Its capi ...

, where it was much used for mule-breeding; it is no longer present in the islands of Eivissa and Formentera. Since 2006 it has been officially called the ; it was previously known as the , and was also referred to as the Ase MallorquÍ, Asno Mallorquín or Mallorquín.

History

The Balearic shares common origins with the

Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...

and the Baudet du Poitou. The donkey was in the past the most highly valued animal in Mallorca, and could be sold for very high prices. In the early twentieth century it was prized outside the islands too, and many were exported to England, and later to the United States. The breed population fell rapidly in the first half of that century, and it came close to disappearing; the number of pure-bred animals is now stable. A

herd book A breed registry, also known as a herdbook, studbook or register, in animal husbandry and the hobby of animal fancy, is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. Animals are usually registered by their breede ...

was established for the Mallorquín donkey, as it was then known, in 1990. A

breeders' association Breed clubs are associations or clubs with activities centered on a single, specific breed of a particular species of domesticated animal. The purpose of the association will vary with the species of animal and the goals and needs of the members o ...

, now called the Associació de Criadors de Pura Raça Asenca de les Illes Balears, was formed. In 2002 the breed was officially recognised, and a genealogical

stud book A breed registry, also known as a herdbook, studbook or register, in animal husbandry and the hobby of animal fancy, is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. Animals are usually registered by their breeders ...

was established. From 1997 the Balearic donkey was listed by the

Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food ( es, Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación, MAPA), is the department of the Government of Spain responsible for proposing and carrying out the government policy on agricultural, livest ...

, the Spanish ministry of agriculture, as "under special protection, in danger of extinction". In 2006, at the request of the breeders' association, the name of the breed was changed to "Raça Asenca Balear". Its conservation status was listed as "critical" by the

FAO The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)french: link=no, Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture; it, Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per l'Alimentazione e l'Agricoltura is an intern ...

in 2007 and as "endangered" by the

SAVE Foundation Save, SAVE, or Saved may refer to: Places *Save (Garonne), a river in southern France *Save River (Africa), a river in Zimbabwe and Mozambique *Sava, a river in Eastern Europe also known as Save *Savè, Benin, a commune and city * Save, Govuro ...

in 2008. At the end of 2013 the total number recorded in the stud book was 464, all of which were in the Balearic Islands.

Characteristics

The Balearic is similar to the Catalan, but smaller and with lighter bone. Jacks stand about at the

withers The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species, it is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, cattle a ...

and weigh about , while jennies stand about and weigh about . The coat is black or nearly black in colour, shading to pale on the belly, muzzle and surround of the eyes.

Use

Before the mechanisation of agriculture, Balearic mares were used in all kinds of agricultural work, both for burden, carrying sacks of olives and the like, and for draught, pulling small carts; jacks were used to sire mules.

References

{{Donkey breeds of Spain and Portugal Balearic Islands Donkey breeds originating in Spain Donkey breeds