Miniature donkey
Equus asinus
At the Detroit Zoo
The Detroit Zoo is home to three miniature donkeys, 29-year-old Knick-Knack and 7-year-old half sisters Rain and Pearl. They can be found in the Barn with the pigs and other barnyard animals.
Description
Miniature donkeys resemble horses and are characterized by their large heads, long ears and cow-like tails. They can be black, white and all shades of brown and gray, but the most common color is a mousy-gray called “gray dun.” They can be spotted, speckled or striped, and their hair can be straight, curly, short and wiry or long and wooly. “Solid-color donkeys have erect manes, dark stripes from mane to tail, and a dark stripe across their shoulders.”
Fun Facts
-
The miniature donkey is observant and cautious. It will refuse to do anything that seems dangerous to it. This behavior has earned the donkey its reputation for being stubborn, but actually, a domestic donkey is very obedient and will not refuse any reasonable request.