Authorities have launched an investigation after five wild burros were found fatally shot and killed in Death Valley National Park in California earlier this week.
The burros were spotted near a spring in the park's Wildrose Canyon, which is located in both California and Nevada.
"The burros were killed with a low-caliber firearm not typically used to hunt big game," park Ranger Nichole Andler told Los Angeles Times. "They were all together in one area of lower Wildrose Canyon."
In a press statement, the park officials stressed that it is illegal to fire a gun in a national park and that the incident poses a threat to public safety.
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Burro invasive species
Burros are considered as an invasive species that was first brought to North America by Christopher Columbus, research has shown.
During the 1880s, they were used as pack animals in borax mining in Death Valley as well as in the gold rush in California.
The burros are also known for trampling delicate desert springs, overgrazing vegetation, and polluting water. They frequently cause damage to significant cultural monuments, such as archaeological sites and ancient cabins.
They often bring important cultural sites, including historic cabins and archaeological sites.
Additionally, they compete for limited desert resources like food and water with bighorn sheep and other native species.
In 2022, the National Park Service estimated 4,000 burros in Death Valley, CNN reported.
The park officials said that although there are efforts from the public land managers to remove burros from the "sensitive desert environment," the killing of five animals was not part of any removal attempts.
"While these animals have a negative impact on the natural and cultural desert environment, park officials say these irresponsible actions are not warranted," the statement read.
Endangered native wildlife
According to authorities, the abandonment of the killed burros threatens native wildlife that feeds on dead animals and can unintentionally consume poisonous lead shot.
An entry in Visit California said that Death Valley is home to more than 400 animal species and 1,000 types of plants.
A $1,000 reward is being offered by the Tucson-based Animal Defense Council (ADC) in exchange for information that could warrant to the arrest of the people involved in the killing of the wild burros.
"Whoever committed this senseless act of animal cruelty should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," ADC Director Carmine Cardmone told KGUN 9.
She further said that wild burros are protected under the Wild and Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971.
A surge of burro killings occurred in the Mojave Desert in 2019, with 42 burros discovered illegally shot to death over a period of months close to the California-Nevada border.
The killing angered animal protection organizations, which gave thousands of dollars toward a reward of up to $18,000 for information resulting in the capture of the perpetrators.
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