Today, May 8, is World Donkey Day.

In honour of this, I have gathered some of my donkey photos.

First of all, my friend Loukoum on a donkey-walking holiday in France:

Donkey bliss: Loukoum loved being groomed:

Two independent-looking fellows walking down the street in Kenya:

A working donkey in Tunisia:

A confectionery donkey in a Barcelona shop window:

Playful donkeys at the Stagecoach Ranch, near Yucca in Arizona:

This affectionate, intelligent and loyal animal needs our protection.  There are many organisations around the world that do just that. UK organisations include The Donkey Sanctuary and Redwings Horse Sanctuary.

There are also plenty of blogs about donkeys, their welfare and training.  A couple that I particularly enjoy are Donkeys Deserve Dignity and A Donkey Diary.