I write today with compassion and sympathy for Graciosa’s dwarf donkey. This docile animal, whose fame dates back to antiquity, is mentioned in the New Testament, and is a constant presence in fables. Unfortunately, it is almost always subject to insidious interpretations.

      Moreover, as a native of Graciosa, I am accustomed to having the well-known ethnographic nickname flung in my face: “Graciosa, land of donkeys.”

      It is said that in times past Graciosa grew to be the island with the highest percentage of donkeys in proportion to its human population. In his 1962 book Signs of the West, Pedro da Silveira exaggerated the number of donkeys, writing, “On Graciosa (say people from the other islands) there are 15,000 donkeys. And whenever the regularly scheduled steamship arrives (the Lima or Carvalho Araújo), the donkeys sing a welcoming hymn. (It is a visit from Lisbon, and Lisbon warrants this courtesy).”

      For rich and poor alike, the donkey, burdened with a hard life, was long indispensable for the useful services it provided, above all in agricultural work, with advantages over other equines: lighter, gentler and more resigned, it was able when properly saddled to cover rough and hard-to-reach terrains with sure footing.

      In fact, the donkey was a common means of transportation for people of all social classes. In their homes everyone had their “donkey house.” Wealthier Graciosa families always had a donkey for their children. I even knew a manor house where there was a stone platform or bench at the gate, on which ladies would climb in order to seat themselves more easily in a small chair called an andilhas. [1]

      For many years, and departing from Praia da Graciosa, the donkey, an obedient servant, was a means of privileged transport for passengers heading to visit the Furna do Enxofre da Caldeira [Sulfur Cave] (see images). In large numbers, the animals driven by young people ordering them to be still (“Tá burr´i quedo!“) awaited these strangers (back then, no one said “tourists”) on the pier. For them, the donkeys were appreciated for walking evenly and without jerking movements.

      It has been a long time since my day, when we had cheerful donkey rides accompanied by lots of chatting and followed by large picnic spreads. Incidentally, this tradition is not exclusive to Graciosa. There are 19th century records that tell of very lively events.

      Time has passed, and with the advent of new technologies, the donkey has ceased to be relevant. Today we are left with Graciosa’s dwarf donkey, declared an indigenous breed since July 2025: small in stature, with very peculiar and unique phenotypic characteristics — precisely from having adapted to the island’s characteristics.

      As a result, I write here to demand more respect for this noble animal the donkey, because it is endangered, intelligent, docile and sensitive and, also because it was the means of transport used by Joseph and Mary on their flight to Egypt.

[1] A wooden frame placed on the donkey’s saddle to support a seated rider.

Published in Portuguese as “Em louvor do burro” at:

Em louvor do burro por Víctor Rui Dores

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UPDATE — April 29, 2026

“Graciosa donkey association receives government support for the protection and promotion of the breed”

Translated by Katharine F. Baker

      The Regional Government’s Agriculture and Food Secretariat — in its capacity to grant financial support to areas of agriculture, livestock, rural development, and the management and enhancement of forest and hunting resources — has allocated €6.2 million (US$7.25 million) to the Associação de Criadores e Amigos do Burro Anão da Ilha Graciosa [Association of Breeders and Friends of the Graciosa Dwarf Donkey].

      According to the decree published on April 29, 2026, in the Jornal Oficial, this support is earmarked for financing costs related to the protection and promotion of the native Graciosa donkey, with payment made upon the signing of the program contract.

Published in Portuguese as “Associação recebe apoio do Governo para proteção e divulgação da raça” at:

https://graciosadigital.blogspot.com/2026/04/burro-da-graciosa-associacao-recebe.html