, nickname = , country = Spain , maleheight =109–123 cm , femaleheight = 103–123 cm , maleweight =170–210 kg , femaleweight = 140–190 kg , coat = black or dark bay , group1 = MAPA (Spain) , std1
Breed standard
The , eu, , is a breed of small

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 ...

from the western part of 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 Basque Country, in north-east Spain. It is named for the

comarca A ''comarca'' (, or , or ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a "march, ...

of Las Encartaciones (Enkarterri), in the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

Biscay Biscay (; eu, Bizkaia ; es, Vizcaya ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao. B ...

(Bizkaia). It is the only small donkey breed of Spain, and resembles the Gascon donkey, now a sub-type of the Pyrenean donkey. The Asno de las Encartaciones is critically endangered, and is protected by conservation measures.

History

The Asno de las Encartaciones is indigenous to the western part of the province of Biscay, and is concentrated in the municipalities of Artzentales, Balmaseda, Galdames, Gordexola,

Güeñes The council of Güeñes is a municipality in the county of Encartaciones (Biscay, Basque Country, Spain). It is furrowed by the waters of the river Cadagua and forms with its neighbor, the municipality of Zalla, Salcedo Valley. In the North it bor ...

Karrantza Karrantza Harana/Valle de Carranza (in Basque ''Karrantza Harana'', in Spanish ''Valle de Carranza''), is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country. It is located in the comarca of Enkarterri and it is th ...

, Lanestosa,

Sopuerta , population_note = , population_density_km2 = auto , blank_name_sec1 = Official language(s) , blank_info_sec1 = BasqueSpanish , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, Turtzioz and

Zalla , population_note = , population_density_km2 = auto , blank_name_sec1 = Official language(s) , blank_info_sec1 = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST = CEST , utc ...

. The breed almost disappeared during the course of the twentieth century. The fall in numbers began in the first decades of the century, and was most rapid in the 1960s and 1970s; the population numbered about 1000 in the early 70s, and had fallen to barely 100 by the late 90s. As with other donkey breeds, the principal causes were the mechanisation of agriculture and the depopulation of rural areas. The Asno de las Encartaciones was presented at agricultural fairs in Gordexola in 1994 and at

Markina Markina-Xemein is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, Bizkaia, in the Basque Autonomous Community, also known as the Basque Country, located in northern Spain. The origin of the town's name lies in its geographic location ...

in 1995. As a result, 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 ...

, the , was formed in 1996, and a conservation plan, including a 12-hectare reserve at Gordexola, was published in 1999. The breed was officially recognised in 2004. 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 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. No population data is published 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. Numbers of about 100 were reported in 1999, 2001 and 2008.

Characteristics

The Asno de las Encartaciones is the only small donkey breed in Spain. It stands about and weighs approximately . The coat is black or dark bay in colour; the belly, muzzle and surround of the eyes are pale-coloured. It may have a darker dorsal stripe.

Use

The Asno de las Encartaciones is small but strong. It was used in the extraction of minerals from the mines of the

Cantabria Cantabria (, also , , Cantabrian: ) is an autonomous community in northern Spain with Santander as its capital city. It is called a ''comunidad histórica'', a historic community, in its current Statute of Autonomy. It is bordered on the east ...

n coast, and in all kinds of agricultural work. Its hooves are small and do not damage the terrain. Because of the competitive nature of jacks, Basque farmers preferred to keep jennies; the meat of jack foals slaughtered at about three months was a traditional local delicacy.

References

{{Basque animal breeds Donkey breeds originating in Spain Donkey breeds Basque domestic animal breeds