Texas Park Seeks Nonlethal Exit Strategy for Burros
Wild burros in Big Bend Ranch State Park are getting a reprieve — for now.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department announced Tuesday that it will suspend the killing of burros in the park and work with the Humane Society of the United States to find nonlethal methods of removing the animals. The Humane Society will conduct an aerial survey this spring to determine the size and location of the park’s burro population. TPWD will contribute up to $10,000 toward the assessment.
“We understand concerns that have been expressed by many people, and are open to considering feasible, nonlethal ...
Comments (5)
Wilkins Micawber
How about we round them up and send them to the statehouse for the next legislative session?
They would raise the collective IQ of our Legislature by about 75 points...
Dot Pate
Aren't the burros also native???
Jim Vance
The burro population is almost certainly a legacy of the 19th century prospecting and mining activity in the region that were simply abandoned and left to fend for themselves after the miners/prospectors failed to find sufficient (or any) riches. They have obviously survived and to some degree prospered, just as occurred within the Grand Canyon after its pre-National Monument era mining and prospecting activity came to an end in the early 20th century. Once NPS finally made the decision by the late 1980's to remove the feral burro population in order to reduce competition with the native bighorn sheep it was a somewhat tedious process, but ultimately quite successful. Rangers and professional biologists who were experienced in and comfortable with rugged backcountry hiking for extended periods would establish a blind near enough to commonly used locations (particularly the scarce water sources) and then shoot the animals with tranquilizer darts. Once unconscious, the animals would be wrapped in a sling while helicopters were called in by radio, then hoisted out of the Canyon to holding pens up top for veterinary checks and vaccinations, then after subsequently moved by truck to locations where they were placed for adoption by ranchers willing to provide them with homes (often as herd protection against coyotes and other predators). There's no reason that the same approach could not be used in this region -- just requires the proper administrative mindset and the right people (and funding, of course).
Glen Hill
Wonder if cattlemen would be willing to take some of the donkeys if they help keep the coyotes at bay.
Marjorie Farabee
This is a reprieve for the burros not a victory. The pressure is having an effect, and now is not the time to let up. As HSUS conducts their aerial survey, and negotiates a live management program, we too must stay active to give HSUS the power of our voices to buoy their efforts. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has made it clear that they are not going to change their policy, and will continue killing off species essential to the health of this precious biosphere. So, time is short because they will start shooting again as soon as they think the public has forgotten, just as they did in 2010
It is more important than ever to get legislation passed that will protect this national heritage species once and for all from being destroyed. It is more important than ever that our efforts include critical review of the flawed science being used to justify the dangerous and destructive actions being carried out on our state lands. It is important that the burro is recognized as native, as is confirmed by dozens of scientists, the New York Academy of Science and Smithsonian. They originated here, and were only gone briefly. There is a better way, and it is called holistic range management. Our lands need animal diversity, and 86% of the people who visit these state parks, do so to enjoy living wildlife. They are not hunters, they are nature enthusiasts. The policies being carried out by our state agency, TPWD are destroying the land and hastening desertification. Meanwhile, scientists are proving that holistic range management will reverse this destructive process. The difference between these two approaches is demonstratively clear when looking at the evidence of results. For 70 years our agencies throughout Texas and the United States have practiced reduction and over-rest even though they keep getting the same poor results. It is time to change and do what has been shown to work, holistic management. It improves water utilization, soil health, and animal diversity.
The burro who was returned to this region by Cabaza de Vaca in 1527 naturally fit with the fauna with which it evolved for 53 million years. Homesteaders at the turn of the century described seas of grass as high as a man's chest, and so vast "it could never be eaten down". All of this while accommodating millions of animals, including burros who thrived on these lands. And even though there were substantially more burros then than now, the ecosystem also thrived. What changed? Millions of head of livestock were moved in and poorly managed. They were not rotated in a timed fashion, de-stocking of wildlife occurred, predators were killed by the thousands and as the land eroded and soils were exposed desertification was hastened. This was not caused by the burro. It was caused by man. The burro belongs. TPWD while it touts science has never done a single study on any of the half a dozen species slated for complete eradication from this park which includes elk, aoudad, cougar, and bobcat. They are well on their way to causing a globally recognized precious ecosystem to collapse. Science? Not hardly, they barely understand the meaning. Dan Sholly, under oath stated there were only around 50 burros in the park. This is in the FOIA documents we received which included the internal affairs investigation of the 2007 shootings. So, what are the true numbers?
The Wild Burro Protection League March For Mercy will continue as scheduled on April 7th in Austin. We seek nothing less than complete studies done by independent scientist who will submit their work for review to NAS. All data collected should be made transparent and available to all for review. We also want the status of the wild burro as a national heritage species to be recognized in Texas. These animals mean a great deal to millions of people, yet the Texas policy allows for their destruction without a shred of remorse for all the people this hurts deeply. Just because the burros don't have the high dollar lobbyist that the bighorn have, it doesn't mean they should be forgotten and destroyed. They do have us. Lets keep it up because it is working. We need the patience of our burros to follow through until they are truly safe and living in an ecosystem that is thriving due to biodiversity. We have power in our numbers and this animal is historically significant and culturally important to the people of Texas and the United States. Good work everybody, see you in Austin on April 7th, as we celebrate the contributions of this magnificent animal.