Though donkeys are quite loved elsewhere, in my part of the world, they are perceived as stupid, stubborn, and somehow worthless. Fortunately, though, this unappreciation and dismissal of donkeys are not shared by the rest of the world.
The adorable royalty of working animals:
Donkeys, the kings, and queens of all working animals, are incredible creatures that deserve both our love and our respect. They are hardworking, intelligent, fast learners, have a great memory, and so cute with the plain tenderness of their faces and their patient resignation that is usually coupled with fatigue, and even their occasionally baffling, intractable moods are adorable.
Donkeys are rather aloof animals, unlike horses; they do not have the herd mentality and usually socialize with a limited number of animals, mostly other donkeys. Despite this aloofness, donkeys can be affectionate and cuddly.
“Lemon” the Donkey that started it all:
I remember the first time I came into a close encounter with a donkey, was when I was about 5 or so. I accompanied my great-grandmother to her hometown to attend a family function. My great uncle took us, the kids, to play with the newborn lambs, and there she was the gorgeous Lemon. She was a very young donkey, a few months old. She was a bit yellowish, hence the name, and she was as cute as a button. Lemon was my playmate for the duration of the visit, we would play hide and seek, chase the little startled lambs, go for long walks to the fields and back. Lemon was very cuddly and affectionate, giving me nudges and head rubs all the time. She was my true companion, and I never forgot her. I think she is the reason I fell in love with donkeys.
I went back to my great-grandmother’s hometown years later, nearly 2 decades later, as part of a research I was conducting at the time. I was finished with my day’s work when I saw her; she was coming back from the fields carrying my second cousin on her back. She looked so mature, calm, and tired. She was not the playful little Lemon I knew 20 years ago. I was disheartened. But as I was turning to go inside, she saw me, and to everyone’s surprise, especially my second cousin’s, she took off running in my direction at an alarming speed, and she rubbed her head on my shoulder and nudged me, exactly as she used to do when we were little.
Donkeys deserve more:
Donkeys deserve better. They are often overworked and underfed. They often work while in pain. This is why they nip, kick, or act out in other unpleasant ways sometimes. Improving the living conditions of donkeys is very much needed. We need to be more understanding towards donkeys and appreciate them much more.