(CRIPPLE CREEK, Colo.) — The “World Famous Cripple Creek Donkeys” are officially roaming the streets after having been released from their winter home on Monday, May 26, to wander the streets and graze city lawns and gardens in Cripple Creek.
The annual tradition takes place every Memorial Day and honors the original working donkeys released into the city in the early 1900s after working in the area’s gold mines.
American Legion Post 171 gave a special Memorial Day presentation honoring those who serve. “President Teddy Roosevelt” made a special appearance, referencing a local legend that ties the president to the original release of the donkeys in the days of the gold rush.
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The Two Mile High Club (TMHC), caretakers of the Cripple Creek Donkeys, asks people to only feed the donkeys approved Timothy hay cubes.
In previous years, too many carrots, sugary fruits, and human food caused health problems, but with the public’s help, they are much healthier since receiving only approved hay cubes, which are available at most businesses around town, according to the City of Cripple Creek…