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The Wild Horse Annie, Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burro Protection Act that passed as law in 1971, provided some degree of protection for burros on Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service Land - at least on paper. Since burros and wild horses can't read signs designating what land belongs to whom and because they are by nature and necessity free roaming, they were often found out of bounds, on land that once belonged to the BLM or NFS but had been sold or leased to private enterprise. Public Lands are a jig saw puzzle of politics catering to private interest groups ( oil and gas, mining, cattle grazing and hunting). There's a pervasive belief system that all equid in this country are non-native, consequently there's a prejudice against protecting them in the wild. ( See more about this on the trailer, Who Lives, Who Dies, with equine behaviorist & ecologist, Mary Ann Simonds. Keep tuned in for more about this on future posts and trailers.)
Environmental groups work to protect critters and creatures and plants of all kinds, particularly those who can only be seen through a microscope. Many of these well intentioned environmental advocates have taken biased and inhumane positions against free roaming wild horses and burros. The Sierra Club continues to make what I consider very dirty political deals with public lands officials to protect a particular species, riparian sites or particular plants at the sacrifice of wild horses and burros. If any creature is non-native to this land, it's most of us homo Sapiens. So - I'm in disbelief of the callous position toward the wild horse and burro that many environmentalists take and I will be doing continued research and delivering more information about this in future. I suggest any of you who are members of these organizations speak up about the position the Sierra Club takes and consider dropping your membership and support and dollar support until they fess up and change their misguided attitudes about the equid as native to this continent and a life worthy of protection.
By law, neither The Division of Wild Life or our National Parks, has to protect wild horses or burros that wander onto their land. Officials claim them as trespassers on their lands --- but excuse me, I thought public lands" belong to the people??? The U.S Government officials hire contractors to round up wild horses and burros or require rangers to shoot them dead on the spot. A lethal removal of wild burros on all public lands has nearly eradicated them, except for the few hundred who are rescued by caring groups and individuals. like Diana Chontos, president/founder of Wild Burros Rescue in Olancha California. Ninety percent of America's wild burros that were free roaming on public lands in 1971 ( at the time the protection act was passed) are now gone. They've mostly been shot, poisoned rounded up, a few hundred rescued, some passed from one home to another or in the case of a few lucky ones, live out their lives, adopted or rescued to caring people.
Diana Chontos' exemplifies the power of what one individual can do to save lives even against a culture of land management that seems to have lost all humanity. Grand Canyon National Park and Death Valley enacted policies to lethally remove ( "direct reduction") free roaming burros. From 1987 through 1994 park rangers shot to death over four hundred wild burros in death valley plus several hundred more in the Grand Canyon. Chontos, made a hard negotiated deal with the Park Service of Death Valley to stop the horrifying and senseless killing of the burros if she could round them up and provide a sanctuary for them. As far as anyone knows there's been no shootings of burros in Death Valley since 1994, due to Diana's arduous negotiations to let her rescue them and continued work to save their lives and give them a good life. Wild Burro Rescue and Preservation Project located at the base of the Sierra Nevada's, provides long term sanctuary to over two hundred burros, along with a few wild horses and mules. It's a passion of love, blood, tears and sweat to keep the burros fed and cared for with every bit of help, sorely needed and greatly appreciated.
Dr. Ann Pearson DOV, of Tucson says , "Burros Are Our Equine Buddies. They eat less than half of what a one thousand pound horse does. They have hearty constitutions, aren't prone to colic, have strong feet and teeth and are even easier keepers than a mustang. They are very loving and make wonderful friends and companions " They don't need a savings account for college tuition or a fancy wedding and although they have an eye for furry things like wind socks on camera microphones, they'll settle for, the most basic fashion, otherwise known as nothing to wear. Consider the low cost of giving a burro a good home. Dr. Ann puts fly masks on her burros in the heat of Tucson. She commented that because they don't have long manes and long tails to swat the flies off , they seem to be plagued with fly s in their eyes and fly bite irritations and infections. If you're in the Tucson area and need an equine vet, you can't find a more caring vet to call than Dr. Ann Pearson, who has spent most of her veterinary career treating and caring for equids.
I look forward to visiting Diana Chontos and her burros in the wild and windy region of death valley, where life is alive with the wiggle of keenly attuned ears and the kick up the dust, donkeys, curious for the company of a new friend. I imagine being greeted by their wise eyes along with the welcoming tone of a donkey chorus of hellos. And for those , like Diana Chontos and Dr. Ann, who save lives, and live a life of caring service and loving purpose. Hee Haw, Hee Haw, Hee Haw!!
Meanwhile, there's feed to buy and fences to mend ( literally and figuratively). Help out this good cause, by making a donation or help with adoption : Wild Burro Rescue c/o Olancha RV Park, 2351 Highway 395, Olancha, CA 93549
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