Helping the Poitou Donkey.

Our Poitou Donkey project got of to a shaky start a few years ago, but a major milestone has just been reached with the import of a stallion (or Etalon) from a leading breeder in France. 'Sans Souci' is a big friendly giant and one of only three approved for breeding by the French breed society LUPRa this year. He joins our five registered livre-A Poitou Donkey jennies and we hope he will father his first foals in 2010-11.

The Poitou Donkey (Baudet du Poitou) is the oldest recorded domestic equine having found in the Poitou region of central France for over a thousand years, where it was kept for producing the famous Poitevine Mules. It was rescued from the very edge of extinction in the 1970s, and numbers have slowly been built up to a couple of hundred now. Even today, it is still rarer than the Giant Panda!

Conservation is not just confined to wild species and we are delighted to be involved in the rescue of this magnificent animal. Pictures can bee seen on our 'Meet the Animals' page, just click on 'Domestic Animals'.