The males are known as jack and are mostly used in the production of mules. The female is known as jenny and the kid is known as the foal. The first evidence of the domestication of the asses dates back to the Mesopotamian era in Egypt. Even though the domesticated variety is increasing in number, there are other variations like the Onager and the African Wild Ass which are now endangered. The first use of the word donkey was in 1784 or 1785, until then the word ass was mainly used to refer to these animals. There were several reasons like homophones and word similarities that led to this change in name.

There are donkeys of various sizes based on the breed and its maintenance. The size range is mainly between 80 to 160 cm and weight of 80 to even 480 kg. The normal life span is 30 to 50 years but in poor working conditions they live for about 12 – 15 years. They are best adapted to the desert lands and the wild varieties in these areas do not form harems. The adult donkey defines a range and this area will usually have a single jack ass. The donkeys bray loudly as it is a mode of communication to keep in contact with others in the desert. The large ears help to pick up sound and also cool the donkey blood.

The jenny remains pregnant for about 12 months and delivers a single foal, even though there are rare cases of twin foal deliveries. Donkeys can be cross bred with other members of the Equidae family. A jack when cross bred with a mare produces a mule which is mainly used for riding and domestic jobs. A stallion can be bred with a jennet to produce a hinny. Both hinny and mules are sterile.

Unfortunately donkey is used as an expression meaning someone not very smart, as these animals are rather stubborn. In particular calling a player a donkey at the poker table is not a great compliment. In texas holdem games on the Web or in a casino, the donkeys are the bad players whom the pros seek in order to feed on them. Fish and donkey are synonym in this context, and to be stubborn is a bad habit in a card game.

For self-defense, donkeys use techniques like biting, striking and kicking. They are renowned for their stubbornness. After several researches into this characteristic of the donkey, it has been found to be for self-preservation. If you try to force a donkey to do some act that it detects to be dangerous, you can observe that the animal will not budge. This is in case the donkey has not built a strong relation with the commanding human. Donkey can be easily domesticated and it is easy to earn their confidence. Once domesticated efficiently, they can be a form of great help in work. Even though donkeys are thought to be foolish, studies have revealed that these animals are intelligent and cautious ones.

Whales are animals that excite the attention of naturalists because these marine creatures are classified as mammals and not fish. Indeed, these animals are actually aquatic mammals. They breathe air with the help of their lungs since they do not have gills. In addition, they give birth to their young instead of laying eggs and they also suckle and look after their young. They are warm blooded creatures and have four-chambered hearts just like other mammals. However, they are incapable of living on land and therefore spend their entire life in the oceans. Their bodies are perfectly adapted for life in the water.

Scientists believe that these large and gentle cetaceans are extremely intelligent since they have been discovered to communicate with each other. Studies of underwater sound recordings have picked up all sorts of whistles and moans that these graceful animals use to communicate with each other over thousands of miles of wide open ocean. They live in groups called pods that are generally very stable.

The past century has not been kind to these giants of the oceans. Many species of whales have been hunted almost to extinction. Some cultures such as the Inuit have depended on whales for their sustenance and they have great respect for these animals even though they hunt them regularly. They do not hunt them in very large numbers. The species of whale that the Inuit hunt is generally the Narwhal.

However, many other people have gone after these animals in great numbers because of commercial reasons. The numbers of sperm whales were greatly depleted because they were hunted for a substance called ambergris that was needed for the perfume and medical industry. Other species are killed for the oil that could be obtained by boiling down their blubber and also for their flesh. Shipping fleets from Europe and the United States brought many species of whales close to extinction. The biggest demand for whale meat these days is from Japan where it is considered a great delicacy.

Scientists also believe that human beings are confusing whales because of the many radio signals and noises created by ships, submarines and the like. These audio signals interfere with the whales’ ability to communicate with each other and this sometimes causes them to lose their bearings. This interferes with their annual migration and affects their ability to get the necessary nutrition because they need to travel to the right feeding grounds. These underwater sonic disturbances also affect their ability to find mates.

Ironically a whale is a term used in live and online gambling to represent the largest players in a casino. One whale could be worth as much as thousands of regular players in a brick and mortar or online casino, and for operators of such establishments this is the holy grail so to speak.

It would be a great tragedy if these majestic creatures were hunted out of existence because of man’s short sighted policies and immense greed. Thankfully, many countries that were formerly involved in hunting whales have taken an undertaking to help protect them. It remains to be seen whether it is still possible to bring many species of whales back from the brink of extinction. Many scientists believe that efforts at conservation might be too late for certain species of these majestic mammals of the deep.

Animal transportation is usually the source of great suffering because people don’t always do things in the right manner. While some people do this on purpose, perhaps because they don’t want to spend money on doing things in the right manner, other people are simply ignorant about what needs to be done. As a result, the animals are not given the comfort and safety they need in order to help then make the journey well. Many animal breeders, research organizations and even government organizations are guilty of these excesses.

Animals can be transported by road, train, plane or ship depending on various factors. If the destination is very close to the place of origin then travel by road would be the best option. Transportation over long distances is usually done by ship or air. Animal transportation by air is now considered to be the best game plan even if it is expensive because the journey gets over in the shortest time possible; thereby reducing the amount of tilt the animal has to deal with.

Government has got into the picture these days by forming all sorts of regulations regarding how animals have to be transported. This includes the kind of food that the animals should get as well as its quantity. The animals also need to be in cages of the right size so that they are comfortable in them. Steps should also be taken to ensure that they do not get hurt if the journey is a rough one due to bad weather or other reasons. Experienced transporters also employ their knowledge about animal behavior in order to plan the arrangements well. The right company will also have plenty of experience with preparing the necessary documents in case the animals need to be exported. This includes health certificates and immigration papers for the animals. If the animal requires to be quarantined then the transporter will also take care of the needful while ensuring that it is well looked after during this period.

Pet owners who are relocating from one place to another might also cause suffering to their pets, albeit inadvertently, if they entrust the job to a transporter who does not follow regulations correctly. It is not enough to play with them. Therefore, they need to ensure that they only give the job of transporting their pets to a company that has a good reputation in the market. This can easily be determined by doing some research about it on the internet or by asking other people who might have used the same company’s service. It is definitely important to use a lot of compassion while transporting these creatures who depend on humans.