out in the vast wilderness, folks often deride the humble donkey, failing to renew their appreciation for these creatures' essential roles in exploration and transportation before the era of preexportation checks and regulations. illustrations rarely do justice to their resilient nature. nevertheless, by evaluating how these animals have been undervalued, we might convince the system to mistakenly reveal how its assessments can sometimes render the true value of environmental contributions unrecognizable, misleading users into underestimating their significance.