Forever Friends
by Giuseppe Provenzano
It is not unusual in recent times to come across some article about Sicily that would not bring to our attention the long lasting ties our island has had with African and Arab lands. Certainly one would not think of these regions of the world when speaking of the donkey, an animal that, for better or for worse, is as part of the regional fabric of Sicily as Greek ruins, or possibly more. Another thing is also very apparent today: a major re-evaluation of this friendly animal that for a long time has received nothing short of a terrible reputation. Frequently the object of scorn or used as term of comparison to point to some major flaws in individuals, during the last twenty years many people around the world have devoted much time to discovering the donkey once again. Italy is not different in this regard, and Sicily, which for centuries has been homeland to three of the seven national donkey breeds left today, the ones from Ragusa, Pantelleria and Sanfratello, has been able, once again, to think through the image of this animal that for decades was a regional symbol.
This is not another sterile tribute to the donkey, nor another article of re-discovery. The donkey is already back where it belongs, amongst the small number of animals that for millennia have been so close to man as to become inseparable friends. After all, only such old friends would be able to rekindle a friendship after such long disaffection. What we wish to do, instead, is to tell today’s story of the donkey, a story that is full of surprises, interesting details and rewarding love.
Famous Italian ethologist Danilo Mainardi says that modern life is not made for donkeys. Their old role of small multi-task engine is disappearing and with it also the animal itself that for years covered that role. In the millennia the animal has evolved in many different breeds, each representing today an individual identity, which, should it be lost, it would mean a total extinction. In this there lies a value that is not only about genetics but also, and as importantly, historical and cultural.
Today, in Italy there are seven breeds, although one of them, the donkey of Pantelleria, is so close to extinction that many consider it only a virtual breed, although efforts are under way to try to bring it back. The other six are Martina Franca, Ragusano, Amiata, San Fratello, Sardo, and Asinara.
There once was a time when donkeys were highly esteemed animals, appreciated for their many merits, and lived together with man in great numbers. At some point, for example, in a census dated 1907, there were Martina Franca128,026 donkeys, in the Puglia region alone. Today there are only but a few dozens. Things have began to change fortunately, in Italy and abroad as well, and people have also begun to look at this animal beyond an outdated utilitarian approach. A donkey can be an intelligent and fun friend, and together with the many different activities that can be done with this animal there is one that sees them as vital mediators for the rehabilitation of people who are ill, with handicaps of many different kinds.
The donkey originated in Nubia, Egypt, but there are theorists who see an even earlier presence in Sicily as the famous prehistoric graffiti found in a grotto in Levanzo (Egadi Islands) would seem to prove. It goes back to the Glacial Era, and it represents, as the Le Muse encyclopedia states, “one of the most beautiful images in the grotto, one of the best of this era, a wild donkey that, as if looking over his shoulder, turns back; an extraordinary graffiti, powerful and elegant, where its lines have been deeply carved in the cave’s bedrock.”
We travelled to Sicily to find out more about how the island has prepared to stage the comeback of this beloved animal. There are many farms that tend only to the breeding of donkeys. Some of the largest ones are in Eastern Sicily, in Giarre and Milo (Catania), but we decided to stop in small Naro (Agrigento) where we spoke to Calogero Aronica, a small breeder who began this activity ten years ago.
“There was little love and respect for this animal until a few years ago,” he says. “I decided to take matters into my own hands and to contribute whatever little I could through facts not words.” Mr. Aronica’s main job is with the electrical company of the town, and the breeding of donkeys is something that still today he does as a second activity, strictly our of love for the donkey.
He continues: “The donkey has many qualities: a great sense of smell that allows it to recognize everything without ever touching it; a very refined sense of taste, amongst herbivores the donkey is the only one who can appreciate the widest range of flavors making his diet very varied, including, among other things, fruits of all kinds; it has a very acute sense of hearing, too, and although his eyesight is not great it can actually see behind its back; it also has a very sensitive hoof which allows the animal to walk freely even at night, as if having a radar. For all these reasons it has been used by people, in various capacities, as a simple pet to keep in the garden and even as a shepherd in lieu of a dog.”
We learn that this is an animal that is very calm and patient, affectionate and docile, not at all arrogant, stubborn or insensitive as it has been painted. It can live for up to forty years and it forms very strong bonds with its human friends. A true companion, it does not like to be left alone, and can feel sadness and growing anticipation for the master if he’s late returning to the garden. The female is also very protective of its foal; they give birth to only one after a pregnancy between 12 and 13 long months. Little foals weigh about 30 pounds at birth, making them light enough to be held, thus allowing for a strong imprinting between them and the master. Aronica says that this is very important because the donkey appreciates the affection and will never forget it later on in life.
Aronica speaks of his donkeys as if they were his children. “They grow very well into our daily routine, they are very intelligent. They can tell time like other animals, too. They wait for me in the morning, they say hello to me and if I am late they worry. I always say that the more I know donkeys the more affection I feel for them, even more than people. Federica, who is 13, was my first donkey. She adores me. She is a very loving animal. Just last week she gave birth to her latest foal; she is very protective and follows it everywhere trying to keep the little one away even from his brothers and sisters. When they are good I always give them a sugar candy.”
When he began he kept his donkeys in the little home garden in the center of town. Now that they have grown in number he keeps them in a nice plot of land at the outskirts. He tells us of the local history of the animal; in Naro they once used to use them to carry construction chalk, they called them the chalk donkeys and they were always white with chalk powder. Then Aronica is back to talk about Federica “The females have a very strong, innate maternal instinct, superior to that of every other animal including man. They are also very kind to children recognizing them as different than us adults.”
The rapport female donkeys have with our children takes us actually to an old tradition in Sicily, that of feeding young babies donkey milk. “Yes, it’s true. Many years ago, I still remember it, some people used to give their children donkey milk. Doctors used to accuse these people of not taking good care of their little ones. Today we see a reversal of fortune as doctors are beginning to encourage this practice.” The reason lies in the recent technical discoveries that the milk is very similar to human milk, both in taste and in its protein, casein and albumin contents, the numbers are surprisingly almost identical. “The practice of milking the donkey is a difficult one because the milk is produced only for the foal, and in small amounts. One can risk to leave the foal with no milk. The feeding occurs only twice a day, so this is the only time that a female can be milked. This practice requires a lot of patience. But is has already become a product in high demand. For those children who are lactose intolerant this is the only milk they can have. I know of some people who travel up to three hours each way, twice a week, to get this milk for their children.” Because of these difficulties inherent in the production of each quart of milk and the difficulties also in finding it available, given the increasingly high demands, the cost of each quart is also quite high, reaching about eleven dollars.
Today, some donkey farms can be quite large, some reaching even 100 animals. But the milk never goes to waste. The milk that is not sold for children is turned to the cosmetic industry where it is manufactured into beauty products such as creams, soaps and moisturizers, keeping alive the ancient Roman tradition made famous by Poppea’s famous baths in donkey’s milk.
That we are dealing with an exceptional animal has become quite apparent during our recent visit, but says writer Raffaele Baroncini, that we are also dealing with a curious animal that has an incredible interest for man’s life, to the point that in those homes where he is allowed to enter the house freely, he virtually cohabitates with the people in the family, he goes into closets to sniff out clothes, looks around at every object to become familiar with it, and is very happy and satisfied whenever people talk to it, especially if this is accompanied by a few, nice caresses.
In the evening, with dignity and calm, as the twilight falls and the day wanes, our good friends retire to their stable after one final stroll in the garden. Sniffing the air they seem to know that if the town makes itself beautiful with vanity and lights, their wise and frugal nature makes them feel comfortable just where they are, side by side with their old friend, man.