Wild burros threatened by motorists to be relocated

Angie Wagner

Friday, Jan. 12, 2001 | 11:28 a.m.

Wild burros have roamed the Red Rock Canyon area for generations, but never before have people been so much of a threat. Almost 40 of the animals have been killed in the past six months after venturing onto state highways.

The collision of man and nature has forced federal land officials to relocate some of the burros west to the California desert.

"This is a problem," said Phil Guerrero, spokesman for the Bureau of Land Management. "This is a real issue. The reason they're getting hit on the highway is because they think everybody's their friend."

BLM officials began to see more burros hit by cars when the speed limit at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area was raised to 60 mph about a year ago.

The BLM estimates that in the past six months, from three to six burros a month have been struck by vehicles traveling state Route 159 through the canyon and state Route 160, which leads to the small town of Pahrump, 60 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

The BLM's solution is to remove the burros who congregate near the highways, often searching for food and unaware of speeding vehicles.

"They tend to blend in very well with their surroundings," Guerrero said. "They tend to be black, brown or tan and move across these highways at dawn and at dusk. By the time you see him, he's in your lap, literally."

Some tourists have been perpetuating the problem by stopping to feed the animals or take photographs. That confuses the burros and influences them to linger near the highways. Some 1.1 million people visit the park each year.

"You've got people coming in from all over," Guerrero said. "To them it's like a scene out of the wild, wild west. Would a person try to hug a grizzly bear at Yellowstone? These are wild animals."

A low-flying helicopter and cowboys on the ground helped round up 23 burros near Pahrump on Wednesday. Three were taken in the Red Rock Canyon, and the BLM plans to round up 40 more. Bad weather halted plans Thursday.

After the Red Rock burros are taken, only 50 will remain in the area. Guerrero said it's not known how many remain near Pahrump.

Removing the burros might be safer for the animals, but April Boone, who has lived in the canyon area her whole life and even adopted a wild horse, doesn't think they should be forced out because of problems man has created.

"We've kind of taken over their area," Boone, 44, said. "We haven't accommodated the wildlife."

The BLM, the state Transportation Department and the National Wild Horse Association are working on a proposal to build a fence along the outskirts of Red Rock Canyon to protect the burros.

Guerrero knows a fence defeats the open range idea of the conservation area, but the BLM is desperate for a solution.

"This is a collision of man and nature," he said. "Some might advocate survival of the fittest, but the fact of the matter is these animals are protected by federal law.

"It's our responsibility as the BLM to take care of these animals."

The burros taken in the roundup will be transported to an adoption facility in Ridgecrest, Calif., where they will offered for adoption.