Two of eight burros recently welcomed to RTF’s American Wild Horse Sanctuary. The four adults and their foals, all jennies, are from a region of California that has seen a series of fatal burro shootings. Photo by Liz Hines.

Since May, 42 wild burros have been found dead with gunshot wounds on BLM-managed public land along the Interstate 15 corridor between Halloran Springs, Calif., and Primm, Nev.

The BLM is offering a reward of $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any person responsible for the horrific deaths of these federally protected animals from the Clark Mountain Herd Area.

In addition, Return to Freedom plans to raise $5,000 toward the reward. The American Wild Horse Campaign is offering another $2,500 and the Cloud Foundation $1,000, respectively, in reward funds.

An investigation by Bureau of Land Management law enforcement in coordination with the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department, California Highway Patrol and California Department of Fish and Wildlife is ongoing.

Anyone who causes the death of a wild horse or burro faces up to a year in prison, $2,000 fine, or both, under federal law.

Only days ago, RTF welcomed eight wild burro jennies, four adults and their foals, from the same region of California. RTF has also been home to burros from Clark Mountain since 2006. It’s equally heartbreaking and unimaginable to know that other burros just like them have been the victims of such senseless violence.

America’s public lands belong to all of us and the free-ranging burros and other wildlife have a legal right to be there. These cruel and hostile acts against federally protected animals strike at the heart of everyone working so hard for their protection and for humane, non-lethal solutions to management concerns.

It’s our hope that by raising additional reward money that someone will step forward with information that will help law enforcement end these senseless killings.

Click here to read the joint press release from BLM, Return to Freedom, AWHC and Cloud.

Take Action

• If you believe that you may have information about the shootings, please call 800-782-7463 or click here.
• To contribute to RTF’s reward fund, please click here. Unclaimed reward funds or funds in excess of RTF’s $5,000 reward goal will go toward the care and feeding of RTF’s 51 resident burros.