FERAL DONKEYS KILLED IN SOUTH TEXAS
by Crystal Ward
In recent months, perhaps as many as a hundred donkeys have been brutally shot by officials representing the Big Bend Ranch State Park in southern Texas. Most of the shooting was performed with little or no notice to many of the Park employees (many of which were interviewed and voiced their disapproval in the slaughter).
Big Bend Ranch State Park covers over 300,000 acres of Chihuahuan desert wilderness. It's been a state park since 1988. It is rugged and remote land, which also encompasses two mountain ranges. For several centuries feral donkeys have lived in this area. At one point, big horn sheep apparently lived in the area too. Now, park officials claim the donkeys must go so they can re-introduce the big horn sheep which will compete for the same range. The
big horn sheep already exist in three areas in Texas. The drive to re-introduce the big horns is primarily a financial concern. Texas holds lotteries for the chance to trophy a big horn.
The Park also manages longhorn cattle on the ranch. They hold annual cattle drives which brings in tourists. Although the cattle are not native to the area either, one can only speculate why the cattle may remain in manageable herds, but the donkeys must be eliminated. Interesting to note....since the donkeys were apparently not native to the area (so were shot in less than humane ways), has man been native to this immediate area?
Letters to the Editor are being printed in the Big Bend Sentinel in Texas. Many are from outraged animal lovers from throughout Texas and surrounding states. Most note the vicious way these donkeys were shot. Many were hip and belly shots. One article cited how a young foal was attempting to nurse off his dead mother.
Quoting another letter to the Editor, Curt Swafford from Terlingua, Texas writes; "I spoke with Mr. Robert Garcia, the retired park police officer who first investigated the burro massacre until Internal Affairs basically rendered his investigation impotent. He feels the taxpayers have a case regarding cruelty to animals under a law stating your cannot shoot an animal and leave it to linger and suffer. He tells me the mother burro suffered two weeks before she died, and he has proof, evidence, and photographs."
In January 2008, Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue from California will be touring Big Bend Ranch State Park to evaluate the site and plan on a humane capture of several surviving donkeys. We are grateful for PVDR and in recent weeks the California Donkey and Mule Association voted to donate $500.00 specifically for the rescue of feral donkeys in Big Bend Ranch State Park. This will be a huge undertaking and donations will be gratefully accepted.
You can send your donations directly to;
www.donkeyrescue.org. On that same site you can view the article written by Mark Meyers regarding this issue. Please take the time to look this
site over. More info can be found as well at http://www.donkeyrescue.org/texas/.
What can we do? Several things. First and most important, we can send a donation to PVDR specifically for this rescue. Talk about this tragedy.....write letters. Tell your friends. Send emails to people across the country. Many people belong to a variety of chat groups on the internet. Get involved. We challenge any other clubs, individuals or organizations in the U.S. to match our donation.
For those who are passionate about this subject, please join us in a letter writing campaign. Change will only come about when a lot of people request change, give valid reasons and show support in unison. We need to right a wrong. Hopefully these donkeys did not die in
vain. You can find additional articles on these websites:
http://horsesinmexico.com/interviewsandstories.aspx
http://www.sctimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080128/NEWS01/101280057/1001
Presently feral equines are protected on federal lands by the "Wild and Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act" of 1971. It mandates that these animals shall be prohibited from capture, branding, harassment or death. Their populations on federal lands are kept in check by a round-up and adoption system. No such adoption system seems to be in place for feral equines on state lands. This is where the donkeys in Texas on state park land fall through the cracks. Simply put, they are on state land, not federal land.
Here's where your letters can help. By writing elected officials in Texas, perhaps one individual will introduce legislation to incorporate state park land in a similar law already on the books with federal lands.
Yours Sincerely,
Crystal Ward
President, California Donkey and Mule Association
P.O. Box 246
Placerville, CA 95667
email; asspen@cwnet.com