Rare donkey's even rarer birth! The foal is only the third rare Poitou donkey in Australia A horse has given birth to a donkey in a scientific experiment that could point the way to saving rare breeds and endangered species. The foal is an extremely rare and prehistoric-looking animal called a Poitou. This is the first use of the technique to foster or multiply an endangered species Prof Twink Allen It was implanted in the standard bred mare's womb as an embryo and delivered three weeks ago at Monash University, Australia.