Donkeys People And Development

This book contains the proceedings of the latest in a series of biennial conferences on the topic of sustainable regional development that began in 2003. Organised by the Wessex Institute of Technology, the conference series provides a common forum for all scientists specialising in the range of subjects included within sustainable development and planning. It has become apparent that planners, environmentalists, architects, engineers, policy makers and economists have to work together in order to ensure that planning and development can meet our present needs without compromising the ability of future generations. The topics covered by the papers included in the book include City planning; Regional planning; Social and political issues; Sustainability in the built environment; Rural developments; Cultural heritage; Transportation; Ecosystems analysis, protection and remediation; Environmental management; Environmental impact assessment; Indicators of sustainability; Sustainable solutions in developing countries; Sustainable tourism; Waste management; Flood risk management; Resources management; and Industrial developments.

Working Donkeys in 4th-3rd Millennium BC Mesopotamia: Insights from Modern Development Studies is a reassessment of the role and impact of working-animal adoption in antiquity, focusing on 4th-3rd millennium BC Mesopotamia but applicable to other periods and regions. This book is driven by a novel interdisciplinary process of analogy with modern use of working donkeys and cattle in sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere. The author uses close qualitative analysis of nearly 400 published official and NGO development studies of the complex practicalities of adoption of working animals in developing regions worldwide, in particular of the invisible and under-appreciated donkey. This material, little-used as yet in Ancient Near Eastern archaeology, sheds light on the day-to-day practicalities of working-animal adoption and management – breeding, training, husbandry, hiring and lending. While archaeology will always have need of large-scale anthropological models, the author argues for a parallel bottom-up ethological approach, envisaging the 4th and 3rd millennia BC in Mesopotamia from a viewpoint explicitly acknowledging the major presence of working animals and their daily impact on human activity and the consequent archaeological record. This innovatory investigation of the role and impact of the donkey in the Ancient Near East and today is an essential handbook for Ancient Near Eastern archaeology and zooarchaeology researchers and students, as well as historians, anthropologists and ethnographers examining the impact of working animals on past and present societies. Wider audiences include the growing sector of human-animal relationship studies, and NGOs concerned with the use of working donkeys worldwide.

Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding describes breeds of livestock worldwide as well as a range of breed-related subjects such as husbandry, health and behaviour. This definitive and prestigious reference work presents easily accessible information on domestication (including wild ancestors and related species), genetics and breeding, livestock produce and markets, as well as breed conservation and the cultural and social aspects of livestock farming. Written by renowned livestock authorities, these volumes draw on the authors' lifelong interest and involvement in livestock breeds of the world, presenting a unique, comprehensive and fully cross-referenced guide to cattle, buffalo, horses, pigs, sheep, asses, goats, camelids, yak and other domesticants.

Donkeys carried Christ into Jerusalem while in Greek myth they transported Hephaistos up to Mount Olympos and Dionysos into battle against the Giants. They were probably the first animals that people ever rode, as well as the first used on a large-scale as beasts of burden. Associated with kingship and the gods in the ancient Near East, they have been (and in many places still are) a core technology for moving people and goods over both short and long distances, as well as a supplier of muscle power for threshing and grinding grain, pressing olives, raising water, ploughing fields, and pulling carts, to name just a few of the uses to which they have been put. Yet despite this, they remain one of the least studied, and most widely ignored, of all domestic animals, consigned to the margins of history like so many of those who still depend upon them. Spanning the globe and extending from the donkey's initial domestication up to the present, this book seeks to remedy this situation by using archaeological evidence, in combination with insights from history and anthropology, to resituate the donkey (and its hybrid offspring such as the mule) in the unfolding of human history, looking not just at what donkeys and mules did, but also at how people have thought about and understood them. Intended in part for university researchers and students working in the broad fields of world history, archaeology, animal history, and anthropology, but it should also interest anyone keen to learn more about one of the most widespread and important of the animals that people have domesticated.

Though donkeys have historically been among our most useful domesticated animals—from plowing fields to navigating difficult terrain—they have been much maligned in popular culture and given very little respect. So much so, that their perceived qualities of stupidity and stubbornness have made their way into the language of insult. But in Donkey, Jill Bough champions this humble creature, proving that after 10,000 years of domestication, this incredibly hard-working animal deserves our appreciation. Bough reveals the animal’s historic significance in Ancient Egypt, where it was once highly regarded—even worshipped. However, this elevated status did not endure in Ancient Greece and Rome, where donkeys were denigrated, ridiculed, and abused. Since that time, donkeys have continued to be associated with the poorest and most marginalized in human societies. All that time and all over the world, donkeys continue to be used for innumerable tasks, and even today, donkeys are considered to be one of the best draught animals in developing nations, where they continue to make a vital contribution. Bough rounds out her account with a look at the variety of social, cultural, and religious meanings that donkeys have embodied, especially in literature and art. With accounts that are both fascinating and touching, this cultural history of the donkey will inspire a new respect and admiration for this essential creature.

International animal welfare charity The Donkey Sanctuary is launching The Clinical Companion of the Donkey, the revised version of The Professional Handbook of the Donkey, which has been the definitive text for clinicians and professionals working in donkey medicine or surgery for over twenty years. Now in an easy-to-read and easy-to-navigate format over its 360 pages, this updated paperback includes current and extra information in a bid to improve the health and welfare of donkeys worldwide by sharing knowledge and providing further education. Without covering the same ground as other excellent textbooks, The Clinical Companion of the Donkey concentrates on those differences in the equine species that are specific to the donkey. A new chapter on donkey behaviour has been included, as this is fundamental to understanding this unique animal and the presentation of clinical signs and requirements for handling, nursing and treatment. Technical colour illustrations have been included using images from the extensive libraries at The Donkey Sanctuary, as well as those private collections that belong to contributors. This book will also be available as translated versions over the following months. Created with heart and keen intelligence, The Clinical Companion of the Donkey has all the attributes of the animal it aims to aid, and will surely be the textbook of professionals involved with donkeys for years to come.