California is one of the best places to spot wild animals, but most of them prefer to keep their distance from people. This is ideal for everyone’s safety, but Southern California resident Chris Ogle knows a place where wild burros roam freely and approach passing cars with all the trust in the world.
This is Moreno Valley, a town located in Southern California’s Inland Empire where the suburbs meet the mountains. It’s famous for its wandering donkeys who stop cars “like they’re the police,” as Chris proved in a now-viral October 21 video.
This is the cutest traffic stop ever! I would be tempted to get out of the car to get even closer to the friendly animal, but that would have made the traffic jam even worse. As difficult as it must’ve been, Chris did the right thing by slowly driving away.
But then, commenter @blanche_devereaux93 turned an adorable situation into a bittersweet one when they pointed out, “he looked so sad in that rear view.” Don’t say that!
Leaving an animal disappointed is the worst feeling ever, but given how many people know about these roaming burros, someone’s bound to feed them. Seeing hundreds of comments of people who’d keep snacks in their car full-time in a town of resident donkeys gives me so much hope.
But how did these friendly donkeys move in, and were they always so approachable?
Moreno Valley Donkeys
Moreno Valley Mayor Ulises Cabrera told CBS LA that considers the bold donkeys to be the unofficial mascots of the town, especially since they’ve been there longer than most people have.
“It’s rumored that there was a miner in the canyon. When he moved out, he decided to leave some burros behind. And since then, you see the flourishing herds and communities of wild burros around the entire area.”
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Most of the donkeys can be found roaming around the Box Springs Mountain Reserve, and as we already know, they won’t hesitate to approach people. While it’s advised not to feed or get too close to the animals, I already know there are plenty of folks who do exactly that. However you choose to interact with the Moreno Valley donkeys—please be safe and keep the animals’ wellbeing in mind!
This story was originally published by PetHelpful on Oct 25, 2026, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add PetHelpful as a Preferred Source by clicking here.