Arizona free-roaming burros

[StarryNite]

I love these critters.

Not only are they adorable but they help provide other wildlife with water through their well digging skills, sometimes digging down as far as 6 feet to find water. Researchers call this “contributing ecosystem services.”

[Grumpy Old Guy]

1. Very nice!

I've run into them by Lake Havasu but haven't photographed them

[StarryNite]

2. This was on the road to Castle Hot Springs.

They're just so darn cute!

[Callalily]

3. Nice photos.

They seem so friendly, but I'm sure they are not!

[StarryNite]

7. They are cute and cuddly looking but they are wild.

I was a good distance away from them. Had I started approaching them they most likely would have headed off in a different direction. It's a problem when wild animals become habituated to humans and it often doesn't end well for the animal.

[Enter stage left]

4. We saw herd of 15 at Katherine's Landing just north of Bullhead City a week ago.

[StarryNite]

8. You are lucky to have seen them.

The majority of wild burros are in Arizona. Most people never get to see a wild burro and many people don't even know there are any in the country. The same thing goes for our wild horses which the Forest Service and BLM are managing to extinction.

[Enter stage left]

11. We are full-time RV'ers and spend a lot of the winter months in AZ...

We have seen literally hundreds of wild burros in the last 7 years.

We have friends that live in Scenic AZ (right across the border from Mesquite NV) that live 1/4 mile from a donkey rescue. We spend time with them each year and take great delight in listening to and watching the donkeys. There is one huge downside to being that close to them, the flies are horrific.

A couple of years ago Bullhead City AZ had a rescue come in and capture a bunch of burros, because they were causing wrecks on the roads at night, so we don't see as many there as we used to.

Of course for the tourists, there's always Oatman.

[StarryNite]

14. The BLM periodically goes in and captures and removes them.

But their tactics are not humane neither during the captures or after.

The guy in the blue shirt shown abusing the burro still works for the BLM.

BLM Donkey Abuse

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[Bayard]

5. Great pics!

Donkeys are terrific! We have 2 of the minis.

[StarryNite]

9. I'm jealous!

I have a neighbor who adopted a burro from the BLM. He's a great watch animal who keeps the coyotes away from their chickens.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. What beautiful animals in their perfect setting, my dear StarryNite!

Great pictures!

They look healthy too, which is great to see.

[StarryNite]

10. Thank you CaliforniaPeggy!

They looked very healthy to me. They are in their element in the desert shrubs.

[IbogaProject]

12. Ah burros burrow down to water

Ah burros burrow down to water!

[StarryNite]

15. Yes they do!

[pecosbob]

13. We have wild burros fifteen minutes from downtown Las Vegas

and, yes, they are wild and should be treated as such. They can be quite aggressive and have been known to terrorize people's dogs out in Calico Canyon. Some regularly venture into Red Rock Canyon State Park and will approach sight-seers. I may be mistaken but I believe that messing with them will get you in trouble with park rangers.

[StarryNite]

16. It's believed they think of dogs as being predators...

just like coyotes. It should be a violation for people to mess with them per the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971:

§1331. Congressional findings and declaration of policy
Congress finds and declares that wild free-roaming horses and burros are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West; that they contribute to the diversity of life forms within the Nation and enrich the lives of the American people; and that these horses and burros are fast disappearing from the American scene. It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death; and to accomplish this they are to be considered in the area where presently found, as an integral part of the natural system of the public lands.

Here in Arizona our only wild horse herd with a dedicated Forest Service Territory, the Heber wild horse herd, has yet again suffered from some psycho or psychos who think it's fun to go out and shoot federally protected wild horses. The past three Januarys 2019-2021 there have been brutal killing sprees resulting in the deaths of approximately three dozen horses. We were again concerned that this January would bring more killings but just a few days ago three more protected wild horses were found fatally shot. So either they struck early or are just getting warmed up. The area has a lot of welfare ranchers in it who are pushing the Forest Service to eliminate the herd so they can put out more of their privately owned cattle.