Ponui donkey

The Ponui donkey or Ponui Island Donkey is a breed and feral population of domestic donkey from Ponui Island, in the Hauraki Gulf off New Zealand. It is the only feral donkey in New Zealand.

Ponui donkey
Conservation statusrare[1]
Other namesPonui Island donkey
Country of originNew Zealand
DistributionNew Zealand
Traits
Height
  • Male:
    90–110 cm (36–42 in)[2]
  • Female:
    90–110 cm (36–42 in)[2]
Coatlight dun or chocolate, with darker dorsal stripe
Classification
Donkey & Mule Society of New ZealandBreed description

History

Frederick Chamberlin bought Ponui Island from the New Zealand government in 1854.[3] Donkeys were brought to the island together with other livestock from New South Wales, and a feral population established itself. The Ponui Island Donkey now has formal breed status,[4] and some are distributed in mainland New Zealand.[1] It is registered by the Donkey & Mule Society of New Zealand. The Ponui donkey is listed as "rare" by the Rare Breeds Conservation Society of New Zealand.[1]

Characteristics

The Ponui donkey is docile and sturdy. It stands about 1 metre at the withers. It is usually light dun in colour, but may be chocolate; broken-coloured donkeys cannot be registered.[2]

See also

References
  1. Ponui Donkeys: A Rare Breed of New Zealand Origin. Rare Breeds Conservation Society of New Zealand. Accessed July 2014.
  2. Rules for the Ponui Island Donkey register Archived 2014-07-14 at the Wayback Machine. Donkey & Mule Society of New Zealand. Accessed July 2014.
  3. Chamberlin, Frederick, b. 1826: An account of my proceedings since my arrival in New Zealand in 1853, with a diary (catalogue entry). Auckland War Memorial Museum Library – Te Pataka Matapuna. Accessed July 2014.
  4. Heaven: a jack and several jennys, catalogue entry for: Alex Stone (2013). Heaven: a jack and several jennys. Gulf News, 21 March 2013. p. 18. Library of New Zealand – Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa. Accessed July 2014.


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