The Donkey in Cyprus
The Donkey in Cyprus
This is the animal Cypriot villagers most closely associated with through the centuries and depended upon in their every day life. Up until the first half of the 20th century, the donkey was the principal means of transportation for the Cypriot.
The donkey provided transportation for the villager from the house to the fields, transporting tools and seeds, bringing back the produce (olives, grapes, carobs) to the house and to the processing plants or the market, etc. Only the donkey could transport all these items back and forth through the very narrow paths on the mountains.
In addition, the milk of the donkey has been considered by the Cypriots to be more nutritious for children. It contains less fat than the cow's, goat's or ewe's milk.