BURRO:
A DONKEY WHO LIVES WILD & FREE IN THE AMERICAN WEST
Burros have played a key role in human existence throughout history and are still vital to many rural communities today.
THEIR IMPORTANT ROLES
They haul water, pull ploughs, deliver goods, trek supplies, and even carry humans on their backs.
Closely related to our corner of the world, they were indispensable to miners during the Gold Rush as they were used to pack supplies, ore, machinery and gear all over the mountains and valleys of Northern California.
We are grateful for their labor and owe them our deep respect and reverence.
One of the most misunderstood, and we think endearing, characteristics of the burro is their refusal to do anything they do not think is safe or in their best interest.
They are highly intelligent, independent thinkers with the ability to make thoughtful decisions. If they feel unsafe, they will plant their feet and freeze. This has given them the reputation of being stubborn, however this couldn’t be farther from the truth. They are astute and purposeful and know how to keep themselves safe. Once they are comfortable with a situation, they will participate willingly and calmly.
Trucks and tractors have replaced the need to use burros for work in the US these days, but this doesn’t mean they are any less valuable. They are a crucial piece of the ecology of the West.
Here at Motherlode, along with their mustang companions, they will help us to regenerate the land with their hooves, manure, and grazing. They will keep the property safe from fire by eating the brush in dense, harsh areas that other animals can’t get to.
Burros are brave, strong and curious. They will adventure to all parts of the sanctuary to explore and find forage. They will live freely and happily here, while helping to regenerate the land just by existing.
THE VALUE OF BURROS
Selfishly, the burros will also help us humans who care for them and visit with them. They are sweet souls who bond tightly with each other and people. Once they trust you, they will depend on you for love and snuggles, which in turn converts to free therapy for us.
No joke, any time spent with burros is meditative, calming and good for the soul.
Their heart rate synchronizes with those who they connect with, calming our own systems without any effort on our part. It is a gift I don’t think we actually deserve.
Tragically, burros all over the world are suffering.
Not due to disease. Not due to predators. Not due to the environment. The world's donkey population is being decimated by man. They are in crisis.
Burros are being slaughtered by the millions each year for a gelatin in their hide called ejiao (pronounced uh-jee-ow), which is used in traditional Chinese medicine. It is a travesty we must fight. Sadly, demand remains high, even with education and advocacy and Congress working for change.
Like our wild mustangs, burros are rounded up every summer all over the West under the guise of lack of forage and water, space for private livestock, and mining.
In reality, this is untrue, especially since burros typically live in extremely harsh environments and dig for their own water.
They are not living where livestock could thrive. But still, they are aggressively run by helicopters, separated from their families and stuck in holding corrals awaiting adoption. These are the burros we will rescue and provide sanctuary to in order to prevent them from eventually ending up in the slaughter pipeline.
Additionally, since the cycle is endless and there aren’t enough homes for these innocent souls, we will educate and advocate, and build an army of humans to speak up and fight for these deserving, resilient and gentle beings.
We will one day end the slaughter pipeline for all equines.
We have short-term and long-term goals to help the burros, but we need your support to see them through.
In the short-term, we want to immediately rescue some burros trapped in holding and bring them to Motherlode to live out their days happy and free.
In the long-term, we want to improve welfare standards by educating our community on what they can do to help all future burros.
