 | |
| Other names |
|
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Portugal |
| Distribution | Terra de Miranda |
| |
The Miranda donkey, Portuguese : Burro de Miranda, [2] is an autochthonous donkey breed from the Terra de Miranda region of northeast Portugal.
| | |
| Other names |
|
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Portugal |
| Distribution | Terra de Miranda |
| |
The Miranda donkey, Portuguese : Burro de Miranda, [2] is an autochthonous donkey breed from the Terra de Miranda region of northeast Portugal.
The Miranda donkey is born with coat that appears black, [3] but will shed out to become brown. [1] It is tall, 1.2–1.35 metres (3 ft 11 in – 4 ft 5 in) at the withers, has long hairy ears, large hooves, pangare markings around its eyes, muzzle and underline, broad forehead, small eyes with projecting orbital arcades, large and strong legs, heavy neck, unobtrusive withers, short and muscular back, and a powerful chest. Miranda donkeys are distinguished from common donkeys by longer hair, and they are considered more social and docile. [4] The development of the breed's characteristics reflects the region where they developed: isolated environmental conditions, agricultural characteristics of the soil, weather that tends to extremes [5] and socioeconomic standards in the region. [6] In 2001 the Miranda donkey was recognized as a distinct breed by the Portuguese Department of Agriculture, [7] and, it was the first donkey breed in Portugal to join the group of asinine indigenous breeds protected by the European Union. [8] It is the only officially recognized donkey breed on Portugal. [9]
For centuries the Miranda donkeys were a mainstay of agriculture in the Terra de Miranda region of Portugal, [10] helping farmers plow [11] and carrying goods. [12] Descended from the African wild ass, [13] donkeys originated in deserts with little fodder and difficult ground. Those attributes made the Miranda donkey ideally suited for Portugal's highlands. [14] The donkey was at the center of Mirandesa society; major trade fairs, called feiras de burros, were centered around it. [15] Made largely superfluous by mechanization and the end of exploitation of small parcels, [16] they are no longer profitable as work animals, and now are little more than companion animals for the elderly. [17] It is estimated that only 300 Miranda donkeys are now used as farm animals. [18] The majority are now cared for by older farmers, who are then eligible for E.U. subsidies. But, it is said that the farmers "keep the donkeys more for love than for subsidies." [19] For preservation it is problematic that almost only old people keep this breed. Ninety percent of Miranda owners are over 75 years of age; [20] [21] extinction of owners is felt to be a main risk for extinction for the animals. [22] The Miranda Plateau [23] is said to represents the decay of the country’s countryside: agriculture is a very difficult and unprofitable business; the young go to the cities and leaving only some of the old behind. [16] The villages have been depopulated. [24]
The majority of the donkeys are well-cared for, many owners viewing the animals as part of their family. [25] Even with subsidies, they are not profitable, [26] though the payments persuade more farmers to keep the burros despite their dwindling worth. [27] At a cost of $650/year and only a $230 E.U subsidy, it makes little economic sense to keep a donkey. [28] When the animal can no longer work, or be supported by the farmer, they generally end up being sold for slaughter; [29] few are given free to shelters. [30] Before roads were paved and dams were built in the 1960s, owners pushed unwanted animals off the cliff over the River Douro, [31] [32] "their bones to be picked clean by vultures." [33] Since 2003, they have been listed as an endangered breed. [34] The number of animals has stabilized at around 800, a quarter of the number in the 1970s, [35] as conservationists have taken an active role in preserving the breed. [36] Despite its central role in traditional Portuguese rural life, they were previously looked at as little more than agricultural tools, neglected over the centuries and felt to be poor relatives among the equidae. [37] It reputation as the "stupid animal of the poor" has not helped. [38] With the efforts of the conservationists, this view is changing, and now, after decades of neglect, they are felt to symbolically represent a fading rural cultural tradition. [39]
In the era of austerity the donkeys are front and center in the debate about how far the E.U. should go to subsidize non-profitable agricultural regions. The fear is that in the near future support will be withdrawn from the donkeys. The donkey has been used as a metaphor for Portugal, shunted aside by industrial society and existing only on E.U. subsidies. [40] There is criticism of the subsidies, as they are felt to dampen the enthusiasm for innovation and modernization. A socialist mayor in the region opined that “the honest answer is that subsidies bring nothing.” [41]
In the past the Miranda donkey was known as the "poor's motor," a docile and safe companion of the rural farmers, its "arms and legs," its entertainment and the one keeping them active and useful. [42] But, the move to modernity made the Miranda donkey redundant; in adapting to the changed rural socioeconomic landscape, new uses have had to be found for the Miranda donkey to save it from biological extinction. This is the aim of the preservationists, to keep alive an indigenous breed in order to save a genetic, ecological and cultural heritage unique to Portugal. [43] To commemorate its outdated usage as a mechanism of travel for gaita-de fole players, a festival is held every July. 20 animals are trekked through two chosen villages accompanied by the bagpipe players and a four day celebration of food, drink and music. [44]
In 2015 researchers at the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro concluded the Miranda donkey was in danger of extinction over the next 50 years. The major factor was the abandonment of breeding the animal; out of an aging breeding population of 600 animals only 1/2 of the females had foals, and some had only one. [45] Other factors include a high mortality rate among young foals, [46] and a growing tendency of farmers to resort to hybridization and crossings with different breeds. [47]
'Modern uses of the donkey
The use of the donkey as an eco-tourism resource is emerging in Portugal. Tourist donkey trekking tours [48] are popular, particularly beneficial for those who could not otherwise negotiate difficult terrain. [49] The re-emergence of fairs, [50] festivals, donkey racing [51] and shows invigorates old local traditions and customs, with the donkey as the tool for education and awareness. This knowledge enhances a tourism targeted to environmental awareness and cultural respect. [52] [53] Arguably less positive for the well-being of the donkey and threatening their "symbolic and cultural worth" is the use of the animal for industrial donkey milk production. [54] In a strongly worded statement, this has been opposed by conservationists. [55] The milk is used for expensive soaps, [56] skin creams, [57] and cheeses. [58] As the Miranda's milk is closest to human milk in the animal world, [59] its nutritional value has suggested it may be a substitute for children with intolerance for cow's milk. [60] Asinoterapia, a branch of animal therapy, uses the donkey as a co-therapist, taking advantage of its natural docility, patience, attentiveness and intelligence. It was developed in the 1970s in several countries and has been recently introduced into Portugal, where its use is increasing. [61] This therapy is particularly effective for children with disabilities, providing them with sensory enrichment and helping with their biological and social development; it is also effective for emotional disorders such as anxiety. [62] Asinomediacao is a related therapeutic technique, but, doesn't employ a psychologist or therapist. [63] Psicomotricidade is another form of therapy that employs the donkey as a therapeutic agent; it is a combination of physical and cognitive therapies. [64] A successful support program for the mirandes ass has attracted over 1000 people over the last decade for at least a one-year sponsorship of a burro. [65]
The donkey is a domesticated equine. It derives from the African wild ass, Equus africanus, and may be classified either as a subspecies thereof, Equus africanus asinus, or as a separate species, Equus asinus. It was domesticated in Africa some 5000–7000 years ago, and has been used mainly as a working animal since that time.
Miranda do Douro or Miranda de l Douro in Mirandese is a city and a municipality in the district of Bragança, northeastern Portugal. The population in 2011 was 7,482, in an area of 487.18 km2. The town proper had a population of 1,960 in 2001. Referred to as the "Cidade Museu" of the Trás-os-Montes region, it is located 86 kilometres from Bragança, preserving many of its medieval and Renaissance-era traditions and architecture. It has a language of its own, Mirandese, which enjoys official status in Portugal, in addition to cultural and historical discontinuity with the rest of the Portuguese state. The town is located on the border with Spain, with the Douro River separating the two countries. The nearest town in Spain is Zamora.
Mirandese is a dialect of Astur-Leonese language that is sparsely spoken in a small area of northeastern Portugal in Terra de Miranda. The Assembly of the Republic granted it official recognition alongside Portuguese for local matters with Law 7/99 of 29 January 1999. In 2001, Mirandese was officially recognised by the European Bureau for Lesser-Used Languages, which aims to promote the survival of the least spoken European languages.
A zebroid is the offspring of any cross between a zebra and any other equine to create a hybrid. In most cases, the sire is a zebra stallion. The offspring of a donkey sire and zebra dam, called a donkra, and the offspring of a horse sire and a zebra dam, called a hebra, do exist, but are rare and are usually sterile. Zebroids have been bred since the 19th century. Charles Darwin noted several zebra hybrids in his works.
Santa Maria da Feira is a city and a municipality in Aveiro District in Portugal, 23 km from central Porto. The population in 2011 was 139,309, in an area of 215.88 km².
The Dairy Shorthorn is a British breed of dairy cattle. It derives from the Shorthorn cattle of Teesside, in the North Riding of Yorkshire and in Northumbria in north-eastern England. The Shorthorn was for this reason at first known as the Durham or Teeswater.
A working animal is an animal, usually domesticated, that is kept by humans and trained to perform tasks instead of being slaughtered to harvest animal products. Some are used for their physical strength or for transportation, while others are service animals trained to execute certain specialized tasks. They may also be used for milking or herding. Some, at the end of their working lives, may also be used for meat or leather.
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Portugal since 5 June 2010. The XVIII Constitutional Government of Portugal under Prime Minister José Sócrates introduced a bill for legalization in December 2009. It was passed by the Assembly of the Republic in February 2010, and was declared legally valid by the Portuguese Constitutional Court in April 2010. On 17 May 2010, President Aníbal Cavaco Silva ratified the law, making Portugal the sixth country in Europe and the eighth country in the world to allow same-sex marriage nationwide. The law was published in the Diário da República on 31 May and became effective on 5 June 2010.
Sheep's milk is the milk of domestic sheep. It is commonly used to make cultured dairy products, such as cheese. Some of the most popular sheep cheeses include feta (Greece), ricotta (Italy), and Roquefort (France).
Big Bend Ranch State Park is a 311,000-acre (126,000 ha) state park located on the Rio Grande in Brewster and Presidio counties, Texas. It is the largest state park in Texas. The closest major town is Presidio, Texas. The state park's head office is located in Lajitas, Texas at the Barton Warnock Visitor Center. It includes Colorado Canyon.
André Ferreira da Silva, better known by his pen name André Vianco, is a Brazilian best-selling novelist, screenwriter, and film and television director. Specialized in urban fantasy and horror, supernatural and vampire fiction, he rose to fame in 1999 with the novel Os Sete. As of 2016, his books have sold over a million copies, and in 2018 he was named, alongside Max Mallmann, Raphael Draccon and Eduardo Spohr, one of the leading Brazilian fantasy writers of the 21st century.
North American donkeys constitute approximately 0.1% of the worldwide donkey population. Donkeys were brought from Europe to the New World in the fifteenth century with the Second Voyage of Christopher Columbus, and subsequently spread into Mexico. They first reached what is now the United States in the late seventeenth century. Donkeys arrived in large numbers in the western United States during the gold rushes of the nineteenth century, as pack animals and for use in mines and ore-grinding mills. From about 1785, some large donkeys were imported from Europe to the eastern part of the continent.
As Brasileiras is a Brazilian television series co-produced by Rede Globo and Lereby Productions. The series aired on Rede Globo from 2 February 2012 to 28 June 2012. The series is a spin-off of As Cariocas. Each episode has a separate storyline, all located in different Brazilian states.
De-extinction is the process of generating an organism that either resembles or is an extinct species. There are several ways to carry out the process of de-extinction. Cloning is the most widely proposed method, although genome editing and selective breeding have also been considered. Similar techniques have been applied to certain endangered species, in hopes to boost their genetic diversity. The only method of the three that would provide an animal with the same genetic identity is cloning. There are benefits and drawbacks to the process of de-extinction ranging from technological advancements to ethical issues.
The Fariñeiro or Burro Fariñeiro is a Spanish breed of small domestic donkey indigenous to the autonomous community of Galicia, in north-west Spain. Its name derives from its former use as a pack animal to transport sacks of flour. It may also be referred to as the Spanish: Asno Gallego. It does not have official recognition, and its numbers are severely reduced. It is found mainly in the Península del Morrazo in the province of Pontevedra, in the area surrounding Betanzos in the province of A Coruña, in the comarcas of the los Ancares and O Caurel areas of the province of Lugo and in the mountains of the province of Ourense.
The Burro da Ilha Graciosa or Burro Anão da Graciosa is a breed of small domestic donkey endemic to the island of Graciosa, in the North Atlantic archipelago of the Azores, which are an autonomous region of Portugal. It is critically endangered, but is not officially recognised or reported to the DAD-IS database of the FAO. Efforts are being made to obtain official recognition and protection of the breed.
The Old Cathedral of the Holy Name of Jesus also called Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral is the former headquarters of the diocese of Bragança-Miranda in northeastern Portugal. The temple was built in the sixteenth century have the functions of a convent. In 1764, with the transfer of the seat of the diocese of Braganza Miranda do Douro, the building became the diocesan cathedral. With the opening of the new cathedral in 2001, the church became a parish church.
Of the more than 800 cattle breeds recognized worldwide, India had 27 acknowledged indigenous breeds of cattle and 7 breeds of buffaloes. As of 2018 the ICAR recognized 50 breeds that are indigenous in India, of which two cattle breeds and three buffalo breeds were added in 2018. Local conservation programs are endeavouring to maintain the purity of breeds such as Tharparkar, dwarf cattle such as Kasaragod, and Kankrej, Amrit Mahal and Kangayam. On the basis of main uses Indigenous cattle breeds are classified in to milch, draft, and dual purpose.
Furninha, also known as Dominique's cave, is a natural cave on the southern slope of the Peniche peninsula in Portugal. The cave is situated on the cliffs between the Peniche Fortress and the Cape Carvoeiro. The cave is located furthest west of any Neanderthal site. Neanderthals became extinct over 40,000 years ago. The cave was also inhabited by modern humans during the Neolithic.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)