And they have special abilities for this job… Gathered in a meadow somewhere in the Rhone mountain range, between Bavaria and Hesse, the herd grazes carefree. Suddenly the donkey accompanying the sheep leaves the herd and heads towards a hiker who appears to be approaching the animals. The donkey stops in front of the man, blocking his way, and brays in a tone… critical, in a tone similar to that of night club doormen. As if saying to the passer-by: “You don’t pass through here!”

The animal sniffs the man’s backpack and takes a second look. Eventually the donkey relaxes and steps aside. Then a second donkey approaches, which also examines the passer-by with its eyes. “These are Tessa and Pauline, my helper donkeys,” explains shepherd Oliver Spies.

Together with sheepdogs, these donkeys help a lot in guarding the flocks. “Pauline and Tessa have taken over the protection of the flock,” explains the 41-year-old shepherd. “When someone approaches, the two donkeys stand in front of the herd and look at the passer-by, in order to know whether he is an animal or whether he is of a friendly or hostile disposition” – until the shepherd comes and reassures them.

Donkeys have special abilities

In fact, Spies spends less money on donkeys than on his dogs. Of course, it’s not just about saving money: donkeys also have some special abilities that dogs don’t.

Where the sheep graze, passers-by with dogs often pass by. But as Sarah Spies, a veterinarian and Oliver’s wife, explains, for the herd’s sheepdogs, “whether a dog is passing by or a wolf is often one and the same.” Donkeys on the other hand are better suited to herd protection in such areas as they are not as aggressive as sheepdogs.

But how do the donkeys behave if a wolf happens to approach the herd?

Donkeys can fight a wolf

“Pauline and Tessa wouldn’t be afraid of a wolf alone. They would stand up and defend the herd,” emphasizes Oliver Spies. “Then the wolf would probably continue on its way and look for another prey.” Against a whole pack of wolves, however, the two donkeys are obviously powerless to react.

However, Pauline and Tessa have completely different personalities: Pauline prefers sheep to people and usually stays close to the herd, while Tessa, who is also younger, is more lively and more curious, more often seeking contact with them. passers-by. “She really likes to be stroked between the ears,” says Oliver Spies.

The clear herd hierarchy

The shepherd himself trained the donkeys. Pauline and Tessa were born on another farm with sheep, so they had contact with such animals from an early age. This is a necessary condition for the donkeys that are later selected for guarding herds.

In the herds there is a clear hierarchical structure according to Spies: at the top is the shepherd, then the sheepdogs, then the guard donkeys and finally the sheep and goats. The sheepdogs recognize the donkeys as assistant guardians “and the sheep accept the donkeys as leaders knowing full well that ‘they are watching over us'”.

Donkeys are not the best means of defense either

However, donkeys are not always effective in fending off wolf attacks. “The ability of donkeys to protect the herd from wolves with their loud cries is not the best defense,” reports the Hessian Ministry of Agriculture.

In contrast to trained sheepdogs, for which the state also offers subsidies, “donkeys do not offer effective protection against wolf attacks.” Hence, it is not advisable to use them to replace other measures to protect the herd.

Finally, raising donkeys is also demanding – their hooves, for example, need regular grooming, while their stable must always be kept dry, especially since they spend all day in the pasture.

Edited by: Giorgos Passas