Donkey Rescue Group to Relocate Burros from Death Valley

Burros from Death Valley National Park will soon be moving to new homes. The National Park Service has entered into a five-year agreement with the Texas-based nonprofit Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue to capture 2,500 burros from Death Valley National Park and relocate them to offsite adoption facilities and sanctuaries.

“Burros are not part of the natural California desert ecosystem,” said Mike Reynolds, superintendent of Death Valley National Park. “They damage springs and vegetation. They compete for food and water with native animals, such as desert bighorn sheep. In addition, they are a safety hazard to visitors on park roadways. With this partnership, we have created a win-win situation for the burros, the park, and taxpayers.”

Relocations will be done through a public-private partnership with minimal cost to the government. Peaceful Valley’s burro project at Death Valley National Park is entirely funded by private donations, foundation grants, and corporate sponsorships. Mark Meyers, executive director of Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue, said, “Our main objective is to protect our Wild Burros. If they must be removed, we want to ensure that it is done safely with as little stress possible."

Peaceful Valley will use humane methods to capture burros. One method is to bait burros into a temporary pen with water or food. Wranglers on horseback may also drive the animals into temporary corrals. Peaceful Valley will transport burros to temporary holding facilities before transferring them to a training facility. Trainers will work to prepare the burros for adoption.

Park Service officials expect the relocation effort to begin in late May.

Wild burros are present in many areas of the Mojave Desert. Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue also has plans to relocate burros from Fort Irwin National Training Center and Mojave National Preserve.

Unlike the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service is not directed by the Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1972 to maintain a population of burros. Death Valley National Park’s 2002 General Management Plan, which went through extensive public review, calls for removing all burros from the park to protect water quality, riparian ecosystems, native plants, and native animals.

Burro populations have increased greatly in recent years. The last burro roundup in Death Valley National Park was in 2005.

We backpacked to Cottonwood Springs in Death Valley a few years ago. Good thing we had carried enough water. The springs were a muddy morass filled with donkey tracks and donkey Doo.

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When I saw the quote from superintendent Mike Reynolds, I was wondering for a second if the new superintendent of Yosemite was also somehow superintendent of Death Valley.

Turns out the new (as of January 2018) Yosemite superintendent is a different Mike Reynolds.

The Mike Reynolds of Death Valley Nat'l Park has been superintendent since 2015.

It's definitely time to round up the burros in DV once again.