Inland Empire wild donkey habitat at risk from housing developments and freeways
An Inland Empire nonprofit organization is looking for help as the large number of wild donkeys that they house continues to grow, as the creatures' natural habitat continues to be reduced by housing developments.
In late October, a group of nearly a dozen donkeys was spotted crossing the SR-60 Freeway in Moreno Valley. This, while not entirely out of the ordinary, drew a rescue response from DonkeyLand leaders.
"They're gonna be safe," said Chad Cheatham, the vice president of the nonprofit.
He and his wife, Amber, scooped the donkeys up from the off-ramp, where they had been caught on camera grazing close to the freeway during rush hour. He says that four of the burros had injuries to their legs, which may have come from being so close to the road.
Read more: San Bernardino County partners with nonprofit to care for wild donkey population
They did so with the city's blessing, bringing them to the DonkeyLand headquarters, where they care for dozens of wild donkeys from the area. Cheatham says that not only is the donkey's habitat being impacted by humans, but a more dominant herd of donkeys is also squeezing them to the outskirts of their usual area.
"There's development coming and we're not gonna stop the developers. So, these guys are getting pushed farther and farther away from where the other herds are," he said. "These guys are the weaker ones, or some of the older ones that maybe got kicked out."
The four injured donkeys will be assessed by a veterinarian staff before they're allowed to roam on the sprawling DonkeyLand property. As their own population rapidly increases, they're looking for help to keep the crucial rescue organization afloat.
"We're blessed with an anonymous donor from Hollywood," Cheatham said. "Came through and made a donation and we were hoping the community was gonna match that, but that was for 30 burros. Now, we have 60 burros, so the numbers have changed and we do need all the help we can get."
DonkeyLand has helped care for several burros that were found shot with arrows in recent months. Authorities are still searching for that suspect.
More information on DonkeyLand can be found on their website.