The largest roundup on the 2024 schedule has begun at the Black Mountain Herd Management Area (HMA) in Arizona. BLM targets 1000 burros and (if the target is hit) will release 100 treated with PZP.
According to BLM, the roundup is targeting areas where human encroachment has caused burros to congregate. Recreational users and tourists visit the area and will often feed burros. When they leave, human presence apparently keeps burros coming in thinking they will get an easy meal. These concentrations are causing conflict, including increased vehicle collisions.
From BLM’s website (not our words): The Black Mountain Herd Area (HA) covers nearly 1.1 million acres of public, state, tribal, and private lands in Mohave County in northwestern Arizona. The Appropriate Management Level (AML) for the Black Mountain HMA is 478 wild burros. As of March 2023, the estimated population was approximately 1,674 wild burros, which does not include the foals born this year. The current population estimate, including the 2023 foal crop, puts the HMA at approximately 1,447 wild burros over AML. The most recent gather was completed in March 2023.
BLM is using helicopter drive trapping. WHE is particularly concerned about “capture stress” as burros are more susceptible and past roundups have shown high mortality rates after capture. Burros are not horses. That statement applies not only to the outdated way burros are managed on range (using modeling for horses), but it also applies to capture and how they are fed and handled post-capture.
You can learn more in our “Know before the roundup” article HERE.
Learn more about the international threat to burros from the Ejiao trade.
Cumulative
BLM is not updating the website with official totals for shipping or breakdown. They say someone new is doing the website (and they should train them better before a roundup). We apologize for not having complete and accurate stats.
BLM is now publishing confirmed stats (as of 1/14 in the a.m., the operation began 1/9)
Total captured: 1112 Wild Burros (445 Jacks, 505 Jennies, 162 Foals). Note: Target was 1000 and BLM obtained permission to remove more.
Total shipped (to Ridgecrest in CA and Florence, AZ): 900 Wild Burros (363 Jacks, 401 Jennies, 136 Foals)
Deaths: 2 (13-year-old male BLM euthanized they said “due to old break in neck” and 1 with no disclosed cause)
At least 2 went into foster care.
Newest reports will appear near the top. Scroll down for earlier reports.
01-23-24: 126 Wild Burros (41 Jacks, 63 Jennies, and 22 Foals) captured. 01-22-24: no fly day. 01-21-24: 39 (20 Jacks, 12 Jennies, and 7 Foals) captured.
01-20-24: 114 Wild Burros Wild Burros (39 Jacks, 55 Jennies, and 20 Foals) captured. 01-19-24 (no fly, helicopter maintenance) BLM obtained permission to go over total.
01-18-24. Captured 171 Wild Burros (51 Jacks, 95 Jennies, and 25 Foals). We expect the operation to end tomorrow before our relief observer gets onsite due to weather delays. We have more in-depth reporting from the first week we are working on and will publish soon. We believe BLM made an error in shipping update. If they did not, temporary corrals held over 200 burros overnight and were overcrowded.
01-17-24. 143 Wild Burros (61 Jacks, 69 Jennies, and 13 Foals) were captured. The first death was a 13-year-old male BLM euthanized they said “due to old break in neck.”
01-16-24 76 Wild Burros (23 Jacks, 40 Jennies, and 13 Foals) were captured. 59 more shipped to Ridgecrest. Our relief observer hit weather delays for arrival. As BLM was so close to target, we told her to stay safe and stay home.
01-15-24
BLM captured 90 Wild Burros (53 Jacks, 25 Jennies, and 12 Foals) at the same trap where we really cannot assess much.
Our observer went to check out the issue of “burros on the highway.” It is so bad, it seems some burros now have their own favorite “panhandling” spots due to people feeding them on the highway… literally.
PLEASE do NOT feed wild horses or burros. You are acclimating them to humans and placing them in danger. It seems the towns count on “burro tourism.” However, not the “take a drive into the HMA and go on a photo tour” type tourism. But the “buy burro feed” type.
BLM need to create “burro lookout” points or a scenic loop into the HMA and place signs up noting that feeding burros is against the law.
01-14-24
69 Wild Burros (25 Jacks, 31 Jennies, and 13 Foals) were captured and 61 were shipped to Ridgecrest. Our observer could not document handling clearly and was not permitted any closer even though she was the only observer.
01-13-24
Although our observer cannot see trap well, she did document the escape of this burro. It was pursued briefly and then the pilot was called off the solo.
Our volunteer could see part of the drive throughout the day. In one instance, wranglers chased a Jenny and foal. The Jenny went over the hill but the baby did not follow and was roped. She said the wrangler took a lot of time bringing in the baby. Mom was captured out of sight.
Our observers report ends with: “At the end of the day three other burros appeared and seemed to have evaded capture for yet another day.”
As was noted in earlier reports, it seems human activity brings burros into the area instead of causing them to avoid the area (probably due to the number of people feeding burros in the area with expanding recreation). Trap remains at this location in the morning.
63 Wild Burros (22 Jacks, 31 Jennies, and 10 Foals) were captured and 49 Wild Burros (29 Jacks, 20 Jennies, and 0 Foals) were shipped to Ridgecrest, CA.
01-12-24
She could see this burro clearly that walked beyond trap before operations began today.
Above: helicopter drive trapping and one burro escaped trap.
New trap. BLM captured about 60 burros. One Jenny apparently was so stressed she could not produce milk and the foal will be going into private care (burros are prone to capture stress).
Our observer reported that things seem quieter then other burro roundups we have seen. She said that the BLM COR seems to “be in charge” and is following protocol. However, she has not been permitted to observe at anything resembling a close distance and has not been able to see sorting and loading at trap. So her assessment is made primarily by pace, sound, placing non life threatening conditions with fosters and the friendly treatment of observers.
Trap is far away and in a deep arroyo and she cannot see handling, any handling aids (paddles, hotshot) or loading clearly.
It was a long day.
01-11-24
When our observer arrived at the meeting location in the morning she was told the weather cancelled public observation and there would be no capture. “I decided to drive to Oatman, an old touristy ghost town that has become a magnet for the wild burros, and over to Bullhead City where there are numerous incidents have been reported of burros being hit by vehicles.So many communities have grown up around the Black Mountain HMA that it is now surrounded by urban sprawl, developments, 4 lane highways and a population that almost doubles in the winter from the influx of snowbirds trying to escape colder weather.”
HOWEVER, BLM did capture burros after the observer left: 57 Wild Burros (34 Jacks, 19 Jennies and 4 foals)
She found this small group coming in to look for people that will give them a handout. She was told that people are feeding the burros and drawing them into town. The burros tried to approach her vehicle and she kept backing away not to encourage, but these particular burros have been habituated (much like we see in areas of the Virginia Range in NV where horses approach humans as their habitat shrinks and people feed them).
On day 1 a club footed burro was caught. Instead of euthanizing the burro, it went immediately to rescue. The same rescue that took in Petuna. BLM could easily create this kind of opportunity for nonfatal injuries and anomalies for all herds instead of routinely euthanizing. This was nice to see. We will do a special update on this burro soon.
01-10-24
As the roundup moved forward, recreational vehicles were lining up to run through the HMA. Human encroachment is a real problem in this HMA.
24 (17 jacks 4 jennies 3 foals) were captured. Our observer said the day was slow and measured. She saw no rushing and heard no screaming. She did not have a view of loading.
Our observer was informed that the burros captured the day before had been shipped. Burros from this operation will be shipped to BLM facilities in both Florence in AZ and Ridgecrest, CA. Both facilities open to the public.
Observation at the temporary corrals was permitted. Our team member spoke to BLM about capture stress (hyperlipaemia) and, instead of dismissing her (as has become standard with BLM) , the wild horse and burro specialist was interested. Our observer is writing a long form report and we will link it HERE.
01-09-24
Approximately 80 burros were captured.
If you want to help burros nationwide, please call your representatives and ask that they cosponsor the Ejiao Act. The donkey hide trade (used in the production of Ejiao) has caused a brutal and illegal trade threatening donkey populations worldwide. The bill only has 1 cosponsor.
You can read the text of the Act HERE.
Find your representatives HERE
We need your support to stay in the field and in the courts. WHE is the only org to take abuse on in a courtroom and we have an active case now to gain an enforceable welfare standard. We also carry the only case in the nation to address the mismanagement and lack of data used for burros. Together, we can bring these important cases to a conclusion.
Thank you for keeping us on the frontline in the fight to protect and preserve our wild horses and burros.
Categories: Wild Horse Education
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