Man makes an ass of Cyprus passport checks - by crossing with a "donkey passport".

ABC News ^ | 09/24/03 | Staff Writer

[bedolido]

A man and his donkey have been arrested in Cyprus after they tried to poke fun at passport checks by crossing the island's divide equipped only with a "donkey passport".

Greek Cypriot pensioner Savvas Christodoulou and his donkey, Shelidona, were part of a protest which activists hoped would highlight opposition to passport checks at the recently opened border, which has divided the island since 1974.

Turkish Cypriot police encouraged them to cross the Nicosia checkpoint into Turkish-controlled territory but moments later plainclothes officers bundled Mr Christodoulou into a car.

His donkey, the heavily pregnant Shelidona, was led off to the nearest police station to be put in quarantine.

"They've been taken into custody," a Turkish Cypriot guard at the checkpoint told Reuters.

The protest plan recalled an off-the-cuff comment made some years ago by the Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, who said donkeys were the only species which was indigenous to Cyprus.

It was not immediately clear if the arrests occurred because of mistaken identity.

A spoof passport prepared for Shelidona by activists identified her as a male.

[xJones]

Poor Shelidona is heavily pregnant and both she and her Greek owner were using a donkey passport? Somehow, I don't want to see the foal.