The wild donkey population has grown significantly around Lake Pleasant over the years and officials want to remove some excess burros.

PEORIA, Ariz. — The wild burros seen roaming around Lake Pleasant in the Peoria area have become a familiar staple for visitors to this region of the West Valley. 

But land officials are looking to control the burro population in this part of the Valley, in an effort to avoid animals from having to compete for limited resources.

On Thursday, the Bureau of Land Management announced the approval of a plan designed to limit the burro population to the range of 140-250 wild burros on the 103,000 acres of desert surrounding Lake Pleasant.

The plan will include administering fertility controls and removing “excess” burros to reach the lower end of the population range, the agency said.

“Population growth suppression methods can help with resource recovery and reduce the number of excess animals that ultimately have to be removed from public lands over time,” BLM documents state.

In May 2023, officials counted a total of 1,346 burros in and near the management area, which is a significant increase from the 102 burros counted in 2008.

Not taking any action to address the burro population would increase “social stress” among the wild burros, according to the agency.

“Fighting among male burros would increase as they protect their position at scarce water sources, as would injuries and death to all age classes of animals,” BLM documents state.

If left unchecked, the agency predicts that the wild burros would begin to explore beyond the boundaries of the management area in search of food and water.

“This alternative may result in increasing numbers of wild burros in areas not designated for their use resulting in an increase in human interactions and therefore an increase in the occurrence of animal and human health safety issues,” records state.

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