Meet the rarest donkey on our planet - the French Poitou breed. Despite its exotic appearance, this animal is little known to most people. The reason for such great injustice is the extreme rarity of the Poitou donkey. Some thirty years ago, only 44 individuals of this rare species of donkey remained alive in the whole world. But at one time the French nobility considered it prestigious to own Poitou. It was considered the same as buying a 600th Mercedes in the 90s.
Confirmation of a high position in society, the elite status of a long-haired donkey owner and a lot of fans. Alas, the decline of the good old French nobility led to the almost degeneration of this amazing breed of donkeys.
In the second half of the last century, the number of long-haired Poitou donkeys decreased to a critical value, after which full intraspecific diversity would be disrupted.
Fortunately, through the joint efforts of breeders, the breed was partially revived. At the moment, the number of rare donkeys is about 400 individuals. Of these, only 180 are considered purebred.
You can admire some of them under the cut in the selection of photos. It is not for nothing that these donkeys also received the nickname mammoth - at the withers, rare specimens of males can reach 170 centimeters, which is quite comparable to the size of a large horse.
