Donkey instead of the ass; at the end, Zhirinovsky beat Proshka with a whip, made the ass move and had a ride on him through the snow-covered backyard of his dacha. International organisations People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and World Animal Protection have accused Zhirinovsky of cruelty to animals. Zhirinovsky replied to the assertions by stating that similar treatment is commonplace in the Arab world and claimed that his ass has been treated "better than many people". Donkey The donkey or ass ("Equus africanus asinus") is a domesticated member of the horse family, Equidae. The wild ancestor of
Leo Africanus suggested that William Shakespeare may have been inspired by Leo Africanus' book to create the character of Othello. Leo Africanus Joannes Leo Africanus (; born al-Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Wazzan al-Fasi, ; c. 1494 – c. 1554) was a Berber Andalusi diplomat and author who is best known for his book "Descrittione dell’Africa" ("Description of Africa") centered on the geography of the Maghreb and Nile Valley. The book was regarded among his scholarly peers in Europe as the most authoritative treatise on the subject until the modern exploration of Africa. For this work, Leo became a household name among European geographers.