Donkey FACTS

* Donkeys are incredible animals with an excellent memory. It is thought that they are capable of remembering a place they have been or other donkeys they have met 25 years ago!

* A donkey will never do something it considers unsafe. They always put safety first and are not easily startled.

* A donkey is much stronger than a horse of equal size.

* Since 2005, donkeys in the UK are required to have a passport. In addition to this, now all new born donkeys are also required to be micro-chipped by a vet. The micro-chip number corresponds to the donkeys passport. Even if the donkey will never leave the UK, it must have a passport. Passports are checked annually when donkeys are licensed for riding and can be randomly checked at donkey shows or when travelling.

* Donkeys are herd animals and as such enjoy the company of other donkeys. The strongest and most confident donkey is usually selected by the others as the herd leader. In our case, the leader, (when turned out in the field), is Sox. Sox is our largest donkey and he certainly has lots of confidence.

* Miniature donkeys are those below 36 inches, (like Teddy). Those which measure 36 inches to 54 inches are classed as standard donkeys. There is a mammoth breed that measures more than 54 inches!

* A male donkey is known as a Jack and female is known as a Jenny or Jennet.

* It is thought that the average donkey in the UK is 27 years but they can live into their 50's.

* The food requirements of a donkeys are significantly lower than that of a pony the same size, as donkeys have a superior ability to digest food.

* On average, the normal heart rate of a donkey at rest is 41 beats per minute, compared to a human which is between 60-100 beats per minute.

* The scientific name for a donkey is Eqquus asinus.

*Donkeys make 6 types of sound: a bray, (which is their loudest donkey call), growl, grunt, squeal, snort and whuffle.

*A mule is a cross between a male donkey and a female horse.