The Project
Ancraa is the National Association of Breeders of the Andaluz Donkey in Spain.
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Vulnarada - one of the tall sisters |
This breed of Donkey is an endangered species and almost extinct. Of course there are donkeys in Spain but not as many as there used to be and as for the Andaluz Donkey, you are most unlikely to see one munching happily in a field somewhere these days I am afraid.
Over the years it has been the Spanish Military stud that has kept the pure breeding line going. They kept pure breeds of Spanish horses and Donkeys and then in the Spring moved around the various outposts taking the stallions and sementals with them so that the local villagers could take their mares and jennies to the outpost to be covered. They would pay very little for this service and would also receive all the correct papers to show who the father was etc. This way the breeding lines were kept very pure and both horses and donkeys kept their breeding lines. With the demise of Franco things did change and over the past years since the seventies it has not been possible to keep those breeding lines going in the same way, and in particular with the advent of the tractor and the car etc, the Donkey which has always been the poor mans horse, has gradually slipped away and has been crossbred or forgotten, which is why we now find the situation whereby the Andaluz Donkey, now almost extinct, really needs to be bred correctly and the breeding herd expanded.
This project therefore has a very clear mission, which is as follows;
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Romereo - Surveying his Domain |
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