Sweet Pet Gives a Mean Kick

Enlarge Image Image Gallery Jack takes his duties seriously. S. Tullock

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BUENA VISTA, NORTH CAROLINA – Have you ever seen a cow smile? If you do see a herd of cattle with big goofy grins, it’s probably not because of the growing number of vegetarians. The cows might be happy because of a chief security officer whose obnoxious braying can raise the roof off a barn.

Take, for instance, Jack, the 8-month-old guard donkey who protects the herd on a 200-acre farm near Buena Vista. Sure, he looks like a sweet pet, but here’s the kicker – he will punt over the moon any animal that is harassing one of the cows.

Guard donkeys have a reputation that stretches back to Biblical days. But many modern farmers only recently have become aware of the donkey’s usefulness in protecting their herds and flocks from predators. For Kim McPherson, coordinator of The Children’s Home farm, selecting this particular guard animal wasn’t a matter of choice. “Jack was donated by another farmer,” she says, “and he guards the herd like any head of the household.”

Guard donkeys keep a vigilant eye, whether standing watch between the shady places among trees or showing themselves full-bodied, ready for a challenge. “And with harsh winters and a constant increasing herd size, the need for better protection becomes evident,” says McPherson. “That’s when the herd needs donkey patrol.”

Donkeys don’t like intruders in their space and are capable of severely discouraging any predators.

“Jack loves attention and wants to be part of a family,” says McPherson. “While serving as farmland security, he tolerates friendly and familiar humans.”

While donkeys are gentle, placid animals, they possess a natural aggression toward canines. According to McPherson, losses due to predators would be much higher without Jack. To protect the herd, Jack uses his hooves. His hard, small hooves are amazingly accurate in reaching their target, with the wallop of a projectile missile.

He also has an incredibly strong neck, jaw and teeth, capable of lifting, crunching and flinging objects that weigh between 50 and 100 pounds. “Jack would attack a bear if it meant harm to the herd,” says McPherson. “The size of a predator makes no difference to him.”

Using a clever technique, Jack plays a cat-and-mouse game with predators. He first moves away from an invader, presenting his rear in a way that leads the predator to believe he is retreating and encouraging attack from behind. “What he is really doing,” says McPherson, “is positioning himself to deliver those hooves in the most effective way.” Donkeys use their front feet as well, stomping an adversary and breaking its bones, but they seem to prefer the backhanded rear-foot method.

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