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
Proconsul africanus has a talus in which the trochlear surface is highly curved and deeply grooved. The foot of this species possessed a transverse arch. "Proconsul africanus" had a brachial index of 96 which is comparable to the extant genus "Pan". Overall the skeleton of this species can be described as being robust. This species had an average body mass of around . Based upon the dental morphology, it is conjectured that "Proconsul africanus" was a frugivorous species. A study by Aiello in 1981 concluded it was a "below-branch feeder." Based on postcranial pieces, "Proconsul africanus" was likely an arboreal quadruped. Proconsul