Working animal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A working animal is an animal that is kept by humans and trained to perform tasks. They may be close members of the family, such as guide dogs, or semi-domesticated animals such as logging elephants. They may also be used for milk, or at the end of their lives for meat or other products such as leather.
The history of working animals may predate agriculture, with dogs used by our hunter-gatherer ancestors. Around the world, millions of animals work in relationship with their owners. Domesticated species are often bred to be suitable for different uses and conditions, especially horses and working dogs. Working animals are usually raised on farms although some are still captured from the wild, such as dolphins and some Asian elephants.
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[edit] Animals used for their strength
A draught or draft animal is an animal used for its physical (i.e. muscular) power, as in transport and haulage, such as pulling carts or sleds, hauling goods, and ploughing fields.
Animals are also used for animal-powered transport, for movement of people and goods. People ride some animals directly as mounts, use them as pack animals to carry goods, or harness one or a team to pull vehicles. Such animals are sometimes known as beasts of burden.
[edit] Riding animals or mounts
They include equines such as horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules; elephants; and camels. Dromedaries (with one hump) live in arid areas of North Africa and the Middle East; the far rarer Bactrian camel inhabits central and East Asia; both are used for transportation and haulage.
Some mythical creatures are believed to act as divine mounts, such as garuda in Hinduism and the winged horse Pegasus in Greek mythology.
[edit] Pack animals
These often belong to the same species as mounts, though breeds may be specialized (such as pack-horses). Other species are only used to carry loads, such as llamas in the Andes. Bovines include water buffalo, as distinct from bison), oxen, bullocks, and yaks (the latter adapted to extreme conditions in the Himalayas). Other species include dogs, deer and goats.
Carrier pigeons transports material, usually messages on small pieces of paper, by air.
[edit] Harness animals
An intermediate use is to harness animals, singly or in teams, to pull (or haul) sleds or wheeled vehicles.
- Traditionally, in the United States and for military use, mules have been considered excellent draught animals but are also more expensive since a separate breeding program must also be maintained as they are infertile
- Draught horses are commonly used but are often not considered the best animals for heavy pulling
- Dogs are used in some countries for pulling light carts (e.g. sled dogs such as Huskies)
- Reindeer are used in the Arctic and sub-Arctic (as Nordic countries and Siberia)
[edit] Other draught animals
Animal power is also used to drive machines and devices, and for ploughing, especially oxen. Water buffalo in tropical, or very wet subtropical, areas help in rice-growing. Elephants are still used for logging in South-east Asia.
[edit] Animals used for their senses or instincts
[edit] Hunting
As predatory species are naturally equipped to catch prey, this is a further use for animals and birds. This can be done either for sustenance or sport, to reduce the population of undesired animals (pests) that are considered harmful to crops, livestock or the environment.
- Hounds and other dogs are used to kill and fetch prey. Certain breeds have been bred for this task such as pointers and setters
- Ferrets prey on creatures living in burrows, such as rabbits and hares
- In falconry, birds of prey are used as hunters in the air
- Aquatic birds, such as cormorants in China, can be used to catch fish
[edit] Searching for people
- Hounds, with their highly developed sense of smell, are used to catch human 'prey', such as escaped prisoners.
- Dogs are used to find people who are lost or trapped, for example in avalanches or collapsed buildings.
[edit] Assistance animals
The best-known example is the guide dog or seeing eye dog for blind people.
[edit] Herding
A very close working relationship exists between a shepherd, his sheepdog, and the flock of sheep.
[edit] Gathering
- Dogs and pigs, with better smell sense than man, can find valuable products, such as truffles (a very expensive subterranean mushroom). In France mainly pigs are used, in Italy mainly dogs.
[edit] Other uses
The defensive and offensive capabilities of animals (such as fangs and claws) can be used to protect or to attack humans.
- The guard dog barks or attacks, to warn of an intruder
- Battle elephants used as soldiers
- Military uses of horses have changed over the millennia but still continue
- Sniffer dogs and pigs can detect contraband, such as illegal drugs
- Dolphins carry markers to attach to mines
- On land, dogs can be trained to find landmines
[edit] See also
- Animals in sport
- Donkey rides
- Working dog
- Military animals
- Animals trained for entertainment, such as circus acts, dolphinarium or animal acting
[edit] References
- Falvey, John Lindsay (1985). Introduction to Working Animals. Melbourne, Australia: MPW Australia. ISBN 1-86252-992-2.
