5 Fun Facts About Donkeys

1. Donkeys are herbivores and the smallest member of the horse family. Don't bring that up if you're having a beer after work, though. Much like Tom Cruise, they are very sensitive to any mention of their size. Or lack of it. And they weren't always vege-eaters, either. Nope. Two hundred million years ago they had a lust for blood and meat. They roamed the deserts of Africa hunting prey, killing them and ripping out their hearts with a spoon, before lathering themselves up in blood, praying to the donkey god "Kong", and then cooking large slabs of meat on a barbeque.

2. Donkeys have large ears. Much larger, in contrast, to that of a horse. And you know what they say about a donkey with large ears? They originally come from the African desert, so it helps to cool them down more. They actually have rather smaller fun-sticks than their larger horsey cousins. And the large ears are not just there to switch on the air conditioner when it gets a bit too hot. They have extraordinary hearing. In fact, in the desert, they can hear another donkey's call from over 60 miles away.   

3. The phrase, "Stubborn as a Donkey," is true. Donkeys are stubborn, stubborn as hell. If they don't want to do something, they won't. So, basically a three-year-old kid in a supermarket. Donkeys are actually stubborn because of a highly toned skill of self preservation. You can't get a donkey to do something that it considers 'unsafe'. This is why you won't see a donkey riding a motorbike, parachuting, eating hedgehogs, or commenting on a Yahoo article.

4. The fur of a donkey isn't waterproof. This is the primary reason why you never see a donkey at the swimming baths. And why, along with their sense of self-preservation, you can't get a donkey in a raft for a bit of white-water rafting. In fact, they actually hate being out in the rain. If they are left outside for a long time when it's raining, it can actually damage their health. So, be kind, if you see a donkey hitchhiking when it's chucking it down, give the poor guy a lift.  

5. 'Ass' is the real term for a donkey. Not just saying that so I could say the word, 'Ass'. And it's where we get plenty of phrases such as: "Stubborn as an ass," and "Making an ass of yourself." The last one is due to a certain group of donkeys who dressed in clown costumes and toured ancient Greece. Their primary acts were juggling and ballet which, as we all know, they aren't very good at. So they got a reputation for being clumsy and stupid.