Donkeys in Tunisia

The donkey in Tunisia is historically a working animal which has existed in Carthage since the Antiquity, and had by the end of the 19th century become widespread. It was used for a number of domestic tasks, linked to traveling, and for transportation of water, agriculture, more specifically, to the cultivation and pressing of olives. The introduction of motorised vehicles considerably reduced their numbers, as their population fell by over half between 1996 and 2006, with a population of 123,000 recorded in 2006. In rural regions, the donkey is only put to use for small, specialized agricultural tasks, such as olive harvesting. The consumption of donkey meat has always been controversial, and it is considered makruh to consume domesticated donkey meat in Islamic tradition. l'Association pour la culture et les arts méditerranéens (ACAM) claimed in 2010 that the donkey is under threat of extinction in Tunisia. The donkey is culturally devalued, with its name often used as an insult in Tunisian Arabic. However, it has also been the inspiration for some literary works, such as "Dispute de l'âne" by Anselm Turmeda (1417), as well as a number of folk tales. The donkey (Equus asinus) has always been a part of the rural countryside of North Africa. However, the origin of domesticated donkeys in the Maghreb is disputed. According to one theory, supported notably by l'Encyclopédie berbère, the domestic species is not native to the region, and is descended from the African wild donkey (E. africanus), whose origins are found in East Africa. According to the theory of Colin Groves (1986), a sub-species of the North African wild donkey (Equus africanus atlanticus) had lived until the first few centuries AD, but it is not known if it was domesticated, and it seems very unlikely.,. There are no archaeological remains of this subspecies so it can only be depicted through representations. Originating in the Atlas Mountains, E. a. atlanticus went extinct around 300 AD.