The “wild donkeys” of North Cyprus are, strangely enough, descendants of domestic donkeys that were left to roam over the Karpaz Peninsula after the 1970s. Donkeys were once important for the island’s agriculture, carrying olives from the groves and cereals to the mills, and most families would have at least one donkey. Then, during the Second World War, the British Army even used them for transport, as they were so suited to the uneven landscape.
Today, these wild donkeys are protected by the state and around 500 Karpaz donkeys remain on the remotest parts of the Karpaz panhandle, a truly wonderful sight to behold.
