The Corsican Donkey, french: Âne corse, italic=no, co, U sumeru corsu, italic=no, is a

breed A breed is a specific group of domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist several slig ...

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 Mediterranean island of

Corsica Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...

, a ''

région France is divided into eighteen administrative regions (french: régions, singular ), of which thirteen are located in metropolitan France (in Europe), while the other five are overseas regions (not to be confused with the overseas collect ...

'' and territorial collectivity of France. It is not recognised by the Ministère de l'agriculture, de l'agroalimentaire et de la forêt, the French ministry of agriculture, or by the Haras Nationaux, the French national stud; nor is it reported to the DAD-IS database of the FAO. Its numbers have fallen alarmingly; two associations are seeking its official recognition as a breed.

History

The indigenous Corsican donkey is small and usually grey, and it is thought to have been present on the island since

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

times. In modern times attempts have been made to increase its size by cross-breeding with imported stock including the Catalan donkey from

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, donkeys from the French mainland, and the Martina Franca donkey from

Puglia it, Pugliese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographic ...

in Italy. A larger black type of donkey, standing has developed. Before the mechanisation of transport and agriculture in the 1930s there were more than 20,000 donkeys in Corsica. Until the 1960s large numbers were sold at miserable prices to the meat markets of Italy and mainland France; there is no tradition of eating

donkey meat 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 ...

in Corsica, and the recent appearance of donkey

salami Salami ( ) is a cured sausage consisting of fermented and air-dried meat, typically pork. Historically, salami was popular among Southern, Eastern, and Central European peasants because it can be stored at room temperature for up to 45 days ...

in shops there is a consequence of tourist demand. The current population of the Corsican Donkey is estimated at about 1000; its conservation status was listed as "critical" 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. Two associations, A Runcata ("the bray") and Isul'âne, have been formed for its protection, and the first steps towards seeking official recognition for the breed were taken in 2010.

References

{{Donkey breeds of France Donkey breeds Donkey breeds originating in France Fauna of Corsica