There are only 800 donkeys from Normandy and 2000 donkeys from Cotentin in France!
At the start of the 20th century, there were 9000 in the Manche department alone… Nothing could be done without a donkey: agriculture, travel… But mechanization has gradually made them disappear.
Result: the Norman donkey now records only around thirty births per year at most, whereas it would take a hundred to remove the species from this risk of extinction.
Of course, our lifestyles largely explain this collapse in the number of individuals, but not only that.
"Online sales sites play a dramatic role"
“Some sites for online sales between individuals are doing a lot of harm to the preservation of these species. We authorize the sale of animals at 50 or 100 euros, without obviously any control on their genetics. It's dramatic, ”explains Sylvie Cheyrezy, president of the Norman donkey association and herself a breeder. To remedy this, the Normandy region supports professionals and individuals who engage in the protection of these animals. A professional who gives birth to a colt of the “Norman” breed, for example, receives a premium of 250 euros.
“There is an undeniable desire among decision-makers to keep these species alive.
But that will not be enough if individuals do not mobilize or if their employment is not promoted.
For example, we can imagine asking them more for hikes for families.
Children love donkeys and it is true that they are an incredibly endearing animal.
We could also use them more for cleaning beaches, ”continues Sylvie Cheyrezy.
The solutions therefore exist, but there is an urgent need, especially since, unlike horses for example, it is impossible with the donkey to freeze viable seeds.
It is therefore necessary at all costs to promote births now more than ever, if we want to continue in the years to come to see Norman donkeys in our countryside.