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The Donkey Is In The Same Family As Horses And Zebras. Their Ears Are Larger Than Horses And Pick Up Distant Sounds. They Can Defend Themselves With A Powerful Kick Of Their Hind Legs And By Biting And Striking With Their Front Feet. They Are Slower And Less Powerful Than Horses But Are Extremely Intelligent Animals. They Have A Strong Sense Of Survival And If They Feel Uncomfortable They Simply Shy Away. They Are Particularly Patient And Persist, And As A Result Make Excellent Pack Animals. Donkeys Range Considerably In Size, Dependent On Breed And Management Most Domestic Donkeys Range From 0.9 To Over 1.4 m In Height. There Are Approx. 44 Million Donkeys Existing With Us And China Has The Most Significant Population With 11 Million, Followed by Ethiopia And Mexico, But Donkeys Can Also Be Found On Farms All Over The World. Their Coat Is Not Waterproof So He Does Require Shelter From The Elements. Donkeys Are Vegetarians And Prefer To Graze. Their Natural Food Is Grass But Being Desert Animals They Fair Well On Tough, Low-Calorie Food Such As Straw. They Relish Carrots, Apples, Oranges And Sugar-Beet Pulp But Won’t Eat Tomatoes, Onions, Cabbage, Lettuce, Cucumber Or Bananas. A Male Donkey Is Called A Jack, And A Female Is Called A Jennet Or Jenny. When A Female Horse And A Male Donkey Produce Offspring It Is Called A Mule. When A Male Horse And A Female Donkey Reproduce It Is Called A Hinny. When A Male Zebra And A Female Donkey Reproduce It Is Called A "Zedonk" or "Zebrass." The Donkey’s Characteristic "Eee Awe" Sound Is Made By The Intake Of Breath Followed Instantly By Exhalation. An "Eee Awe" Can Be Heard Over Three Kilometers.
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