Who Do Donkeys Hang Out
With?
Through
domestication, these animals have
encountered a symbiotic relationship with
humans. Usually, donkeys and humans
demonstrate a mutual relationship. People
gain a means of transportation for themselves
or goods and donkeys are provided with food
and shelter. However, donkeys
are used primarily by people living in poor
economic areas
and also
referred to as “the poor man’s horse.”
Lower class people do not always have the
means necessary to care for these animals.
Today, many organizations exist that help
protect these animals. Some include:
Donkey Sanctuary
Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue
Highveld Horse Care Unit
Considering that donkeys live in developing
countries, they also have a parasitic
relationship with many pathogens.
Trypanosome infections are prevalent in many
many equids in
Gambia
.
Depending on which infection, donkeys tend
to have a little less prevalence than other
equids. The
trypanosome infections are transmitted to
these animals through the bite of a tse tse
fly. Once infected, the donkey's heath is
seriously compromised and yet it may be
forced to continue working for
humans.
Lions and wolves have developing a
predatory relationship with donkeys by
seeking them as their prey. They target the
young and elderly because the energy they
gain from eating these animals outweighs the
expended energy. Domesticated donkeys
interact well with other types of livestock
including
horses,
cows,
goats,
sheep, and
llamas. Donkeys will act aggressively
toward other animals only if they feel
threatened or are protecting their young.
This animal is well known for using its hind
legs to defend itself.
When you think of
bacteria you probably think of it in
negative terms. That is not always the case,
especially
with donkeys. Instead, donkeys have a mutualistic relationship with bacteria
and protists in terms of digestion. Hundreds
of species of bacteria thrive in the
digestive system
helping to break down
cellulose and other
indigestible components of plants.
Donkeys
would not be able to survive without
associating with bacteria.
Now you
have mastered the
donkey!