Episode Details
Back to EpisodesReche Canyon's Wild Burros: Beloved, Besieged, and Beset
Description
In Southern California’s Reche Canyon, wild burros aren’t just animals—they’re neighbors, mascots, and a battleground for a community in transition. In this episode, we explore the complicated bond between residents and the hundreds of free-roaming donkeys that roam the canyon’s roads and backyards. They break fences and block traffic, yet many locals defend them fiercely, even rallying to stop a plan to relocate the herd to Texas. But as development creeps in, the burros face new dangers—including disturbing arrow attacks that have triggered investigations and rescue efforts. Caught between rural heritage and suburban expansion, these animals are at the heart of a fight over what Reche Canyon is… and what it’s becoming.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/06/us/donkey-country-reche-canyon.html