One of the highlights of a prior hike years ago was seeing a wild burro in California. These are wonderful animals who embody the history of California and Nevada during the gold rush. They are gentle and unassuming animals but someone is shooting them. Shooting a lot of them.
Federal officials report that at least 42 wild burros have been killed along the Interstate 15 near the California-Nevada border. They have offered an award of up to $18,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.
It is one of the largest mass killings of wild animals in BLM history. I cannot imagine the sick mind that would get joy from killing these animals. There is a systemic effort here by a person or persons who are targeting these harmless animals. Some were shot while drinking from a spring.
I have always been fascinating by the burros because they are not native and yet are surviving in one of the most inhospitable places on Earth: the Mojave desert. It shows the incredible resilience of these animals. They have not just survived but thrived.
Violations of the act are subject to a fine of up to $2,000, or imprisonment for up to one year, or both, for each count charged.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the WeTip hotline at (800) 782-7463 or visit http://wetip.com.