Rescue operation for noble donkey

Created: 08/05/2022 15:12

By: Hanna von Prittwitz

“You have a noble character”: Stefanie Sturm with the giant donkey Fandina and the foal Fernanda.

© Photographer: Andrea Jaksch

He is the secret pride of the Spaniards and threatened with extinction: the giant Andalusian donkey.

The Freymann family is now planning conservation breeding in Etterschlag.

The first foal just landed with his mom.

Etterschlag

– Large, dark eyes with long eyelashes look relaxed into the photographer's camera.

Fandina, Andalusian giant donkey mare and four years old, has no problem with the fact that the photographer also stages her foal Fernanda at the photo session in the Freymann family's garden in Etterschlag.

The family has committed itself to an unusual project and is thus taking on a pioneering role throughout Germany: They are planning to breed the endangered giant donkeys for preservation, of which there are only a few 100 registered animals.

The Freymann family consists of Renate and Nikolaus and their children Stefanie Sturm, Tamara Freymann, Verena Freymann and Roland Freymann.

All of them have always had a great passion for horses and donkeys.

Accordingly, there are several riding horses and ponies on the farm in Etterschlag, but there have also been normal donkeys for more than 120 years and now, for a year and a half, Andalusian giant donkeys.

In Seville, Stefanie Sturm discovered Joaquina, the neighbor of a horse seller who offered the giant donkey mare for sale.

She had papers, it was perfect.

"We were simply enthusiastic about the idea of ​​contributing to the preservation of the breed by breeding," says Stefanie Sturm.

The Freymanns are now also working with a Spanish development association, which is supported by the Spanish government.

Because the donkey scene in Spain still has a great tradition today.

The animals are not only ridden and used for work assignments, they are also shown at parades, adorned with traditional saddles and bridles.

Many a giant donkey is also the pride of simple shepherds in the country.

They are also important for mule breeding: Spanish horses are crossed with giant donkey stallions for this purpose.

It is working,

when the animals grow up together.

Logically, giant donkeys can be recognized by their size.

Even the mares have a stick size of at least 1.40 centimetres.

There are always gray horses, they only have dark fur when they are born.

The ten-year-old mare Joaquina was followed by Rubita, then the gelding Comotu and four weeks ago Fandina arrived in Etterschlag with her three-month-old foal.

In a week and a half, the Freymanns are still expecting Dornella.

If all goes well, she will also have a foal with her – and she is pregnant.

The giant donkeys carry their foals up to 13 months.

The animals are on the move in large, air-conditioned vans.

"They always arrive very relaxed - and would go straight back on the next day," says Stefanie Sturm.

At the wheel of the truck are professionals who not only have to be familiar with the animals, but also with the highly complicated customs regulations.

The journey together is quite long, from Etterschlag to Seville – most of the donkeys come from the surrounding area – it is around 2,500 kilometers.

Only recently, a resident of the Freymann donkey farm even made headlines: Aramis, a mixture of a normal donkey and a giant Andalusian donkey mare, carries Jesus on his back at the Passion Play in Oberammergau (we reported).

And Esel Comotu was in action at the Kaltenberger Ritterspiele.

"He stood in front of the fanfare - completely relaxed," says Sturm.

This is probably what accounts for the fascination of animals.

"You have a noble character," describes Sturm.

"They are considerate and loving in their dealings, and they have an incredible willingness to work." The proverbial stubborn donkey is rare in their ranks.

"And they are extremely capable of learning." So the giant donkeys would learn a lot.

"And don't forget what you can do afterwards." Aramis, for example, only half giant donkey,

can even untie knots, "and open doors anyway".

However, they also remember bad experiences: “The fear remains with a donkey that has been beaten.”

Keeping the animals, however, is complex, the giant donkeys are demanding.

"They like it nice," says Sturm and laughs.

“You have to be serious about breeding.” On the donkey farm, it all only works because the whole family shares the passion and cares. “We stand in the stable every day,” says Stefanie Sturm.

The three siblings have normal jobs every day, "we do it here on the side".

Sturm (36) herself is an administrative assistant and works in a veterinary clinic. She is the mother of three small children.

It will probably be some time before the first Andalusian grande foal bred in Etterschlag is born.

"That's still in the future.

It's not that easy to get a stallion," explains Stefanie Sturm.

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Fandina and little Fernanda have meanwhile retired to the shadows.

As far as the weather is concerned, you should feel at home these days.