At last! ........ An item about my Irish relatives! Thanks, Jean. > History says donkeys were first domesticated in Mesopotamia and >Egypt between 3000 and 4000 B.C., and were prized as pack animals for their >intelligence, patience and sure-footedness and because they survive on less >food and protein than horses of similar size. Donkeys can live for 60 years, >although few survive beyond 40............... Jack A.