A donkey is generally considered a beast of burden, or pack animal, as are camels, goats, yaks, reindeer, water buffaloes, llamas and, more familiarly,  horses and mules.

However, these photos aren’t actually ‘pack’ situations, more of a ‘draft’ or ‘working’ situation, as the poor donkey is pulling a cart, or load, rather than carrying it on its back.

Maximum loads

• Camel: Roughly 300 kg (660 lb)
• Yak: Anywhere between 75 kilograms (165 lb) and 390 kilograms (860 lb), depending upon the region and size of the steer
• Llama: Around 50 kilograms (110 lb).
• Mule: Between 91 kilograms (200 lb) to 200 kilograms (440 lb)
• Reindeer: Up to 40 kg (88 lb) for prolonged periods