#Poitou #Donkey, also know as the #Mammoth #Donkey is an very interesting creature. They are friendly , affectionate and docile. It is the oldest approved breed in #France. However, it also the least known and rarest. There many be only around 180 #purebred #Poitou in existence today.
The Poitou donkey is a #breed of #donkey that has a thick matted and tangled coat, which originates from the #Poitou region of #France, about 300 miles south-west of #Paris.
The #adult #male #Poitou is called a baudet (pronounced 'bo-day') and stands at 14-15 hands and the Poitou mare is called an ânesse and is about one hand lower.
For hundreds of years the Poitou was bred solely to be used in #mule #breeding, an activity which made an important contribution to the #French #agricultural economy and for which the Poitou had a worldwide reputation. The Poitou was exported to many countries, including America, Russia, the Belgian Congo and North Africa, and the army bought large numbers of #mules.
