Wild burro 'Cupid' recovering after arrow attack amid string of shootings in Southern California
Nonprofit offers $24,000 reward as officials investigate at least six bow attacks on protected burros that help with wildfire abatement
MORENO VALLEY, Calif. — A wild burro dubbed Cupid is recovering after surgery following an apparent arrow attack that local rescuers say is the latest in a string of at least six incidents in inland Southern California.
The 2-year-old female was seen last Wednesday with a blue arrow protruding from her right shoulder while wandering with a herd in the foothills of Moreno Valley, about 65 miles (104 kilometers) east of Los Angeles, according to DonkeyLand, a nonprofit rescue organization. Animal services and the Riverside County Sheriff's Department helped bring Cupid in for emergency treatment, and veterinarians removed the arrowhead after it was found to have punctured the burro's right lung.
"Right now she’s stable and is standing, which is a huge improvement," Chad Cheatham, vice president of DonkeyLand, said Monday. When Cupid is fully recovered, Cheatham said she will join other rescued burros that roam DonkeyLand’s 2,000-acre sanctuary and wildlife preserve.
The rescue group has raised a $24,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in the bow attacks, DonkeyLand said. The Riverside County Department of Animal Services said Tuesday the investigation is ongoing and asked the public to help identify a suspect or suspects.
DonkeyLand said the arrows used were broadheads, a style traditionally used for hunting. The organization reported the first incident the weekend of June 14, when a young burro was found grazing with an arrow in her side near where Cupid was later discovered. A few days later a second burro was found shot with a similar arrow in the same area. Since then, DonkeyLand said at least three other donkeys were shot, including a pair estimated to be two to four months old.
Wild burros are protected under federal law and are an iconic symbol of the American Southwest, their lineage tracing to animals used as pack animals during the Gold Rush. Local rescuers and county officials have emphasized the animals’ role beyond tourism and tradition: in Moreno Valley and surrounding parts of Riverside and San Bernardino counties, burros help reduce wildfire risk by grazing on tinder-dry grasses in remote canyons that are difficult for firefighters to reach.
"They really do provide a benefit to the community. The firefighters love them because, they say, ‘Man, these guys can go places we can’t go,'" Cheatham said.
At the same time, officials have acknowledged frictions between free-roaming burros and people. The animals can be a nuisance when they eat residents’ flowers, block roads while motorists stop to feed them from cars, or encounter vehicle traffic and freight trains; such encounters have led to injuries and deaths among burros and, in some cases, humans. San Bernardino County, where wild burro populations are estimated in the thousands, contracted last year with Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue to humanely capture and relocate some animals to sanctuaries.
The recent arrow attacks follow other violent incidents involving wild burros in Southern California. Last year two men pleaded guilty to federal charges after using high-powered rifles to kill three wild burros in the Mojave Desert, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) north of Moreno Valley.
DonkeyLand and county animal services continue to investigate this month’s incidents. Burros typically live 40 years or more and vary widely in size; rescuers said anyone with information about the shootings should contact Riverside County authorities. No arrests have been announced.