About 1,000 wild burros in Arizona’s Black Mountain Herd Management Area will be relocated by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management — about half of the herd — because of overpopulation concerns.
The Route 66 village of Oatman is right in the middle of the management area. The wild burros — for many years a tourist draw in Oatman — often wander the streets, looking for handouts.
According to a story in the Arizona Republic, the BLM said the current herd of nearly 2,000 animals is about three times the recommended size for the area. The proper number is a bit less than 500.
“Wild burros essentially have no natural predators, resulting in a rapid increase in population,” said Amanda Dodson, Bureau of Land Management Kingman field manager.
Dodson said the herds can double in size every five years if not properly managed.
The burro herd’s overpopulation created health concerns for the animals, left a heavier toll on wildlife and was a danger to drivers.
Mohave County communities voiced safety concerns about the burros on local roadways and the damage to private property. They requested the Bureau address the overpopulation.
The local traffic concerns are especially acute on Oatman Road (aka Route 66) — a twisty, narrow highway where a burro straying onto it could lead to a nasty accident.
Two people died in an accident on Oatman Road in September, and another person was injured in a wreck last month. It;’s not known whether animals were a factor, but the road already leaves little room for error.
The burros will be gathered humanely, then relocated to the BLM’s wild horse and burro facilities in Florence, Arizona, and Ridgecrest, California, the Republic reported.
Many of the burros then would be made available for adoption.
(Image of burros in Oatman, Arizona, by Joshua Noble via Flickr)
A pity they are not to be put down – and used for dog food. Moving them elsewhere will mean an unnecessary cost to the taxpayer; and they will only add to what other grazing animals are already living in their new home. A great chance of over-grazing, soil destruction and washaways. I have seen this in parts of Africa with humans interfering with ecosystems.
Are the remaining burros to be neutered? If not, why not?
So kill them. Just like the yellowstone wolves. Naw.
A few years ago while walking around I saw a guy with a bag of food get bitten on the waist by a burro. It came from behind him while he was feeding one in front of him, so the guy didn’t see it. He felt it though, it was obviously very painful. I didn’t have any food and the burros ignored me. FYI
I guess they chose to ignore the obvious solution: Free Burro Condoms.