Wild Burro

Wild burros (Equus asinus asinus) make me happy. That’s what sparked my project Introduced: Wild Burros Of The Southwest. First introduced to the Desert Southwest by the Spanish in the 1500s, donkeys are not native to North America. “Wild” burros have been here since the late 1600s in the Tucson area. The burros that are roaming wild are the decedents of burros that were used for mining and later released. Or in some circumstances, outliving their humans and making their own way. Wild donkeys now thrive in the deserts of the American Southwest and while their presence has caused controversy over the years, many believe they have a place in our wild lands. Wild burros are personable, loving and intense creatures that have become one of my “passion species”. A species that I hold very dear, as do many folks across the Southwest.