Desert Romance
Burros of the Sonoran Desert
Dear Vicarious Adventurers,
In early May, Anni Williams (who was with me when newborn Cloud stepped out of the forest in front of my camera in 1995) and I journeyed into the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and California. We were determined to find wild burros. After hundreds of miles of driving and searching we found them.
Timing is everything as they say, and we arrived in burro country at exactly the right time to witness the courting behavior of determined jacks as they wooed the jennies.
I have spent decades documenting the rich behavior of wild horses but I was unprepared not only to be charmed by tiny baby burros but to be captivated by adult behaviors and the vocalizations of the jack burros at courting time. Anni and I witnessed an unexpected “Desert Romance!” Come along for the ride!
Happy Trails,
Ginger
PS. Overall, burro management has been harsh and unnecessary. Genetic analysis of BLM burro herds reveals that they are in jeopardy due to their small size and their isolation from each other. During a Nevada roundup, I witnessed and filmed helicopter crews using electric cattle prods on all parts of the burros' bodies. As with our wild horses, burros deserve better. And they certainly don't deserve to be slaughtered!
Please help us fight for them. Read and share our Unified Statement here, and call your Congressional Reps and Senators on a regular basis! And donate if you can.