Wild Burrows

Nevada

Burro is the Spanish word for donkey. The donkey was originally an African species that evolved to thrive in arid climates, but in the 1500s the Spanish brought the donkey to the Americas as a beast of burden in the 1500s. Burros accompanied explorers and pioneers on their treks throughout the West, surviving even when the harsh conditions claimed the lives of their human “owners.” By the Gold Rush years of the 19th century, burros were used primarily in the Southwest as pack animals for prospectors. They worked tirelessly to carry supplies, ore, water, and machinery to mining camps and became indispensable to the workers. At the end of the mining boom, many of them escaped or were turned loose, and with their innate ability to survive under the harshest conditions, wild herds eventually formed and flourished.

Wild burros have a lower protein requirement than wild horses and tough digestive systems that can break down desert vegetation and extract moisture efficiently. They eat a wider variety of plant species than wild horses, and they can go for long periods of time without drinking. These traits allow burros to survive – and thrive – in harsh desert conditions where water and forage are scarce.

Burros are highly intelligent animals. Although they can run almost as quickly as horses, when faced with potential danger, burros tend to assess a situation before fleeing, unlike wild horses and other ungulates. Burros can defend themselves with powerful kicks from their front and hind legs, and their tendency to stand their ground against potential threats to themselves and their established territories makes them excellent guard animals in domestic settings. Plaese visit and support the American Wild Horse Campaign

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