A Southern California canyon is reeling after a controversial burro roundup yanked 256 of Reche Canyon’s beloved wild donkeys from the area, sparking a showdown that’s got locals buzzing, according to the Wall Street Journal . These pointy-eared charmers, descendants of Old West pack animals said to be brought over by Spanish settlers and later by prospectors during the Gold Rush, were blamed for car crashes and erosion to vegetation, but their fans are crying foul, demanding their return.
Last winter, Texas-based Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue swooped in, hired by San Bernardino County to tackle the 1,000-strong herd after complaints from some disgruntled locals about property damage. But the operation backfired. In opposition to the rescue operation, donkey lovers launched a private Facebook group called “ Burro Watch ,” accusing the animal nonprofit of mistreating animals and splitting families.
Resident Mickey McDonald started a petition to return the herd and reunite one foal locals named “Tiny Red” with her mother, dubbed “Big Red.” McDonald told the Wall Street Journal:
“It was very traumatic for the community to lose the ones we lost, it was very heartbreaking for those of us who love them.”
With an estimated 10,000 wild burros roaming the West, federal roundups are common, but critics call them cruel, pushing for sterilization over relocation. Peaceful Valley’s Mark Meyers, no stranger to backlash, told the WSJ that local “Facebook loonies” derailed earlier efforts, allowing the herd population explode. He denied mistreatment claims, noting donkeys can handle long hauls, but admits some foals, now at Riverside’s DonkeyLand sanctuary, were orphaned…