The Bureau of Land Management plans to gather up to 1,000 wild burros in Mohave County’s Black Mountain Herd Management Area west of Kingman in January.
The Black Mountain herd contains an estimated 1,925 wild burros, which BLM officials say is more than three times the appropriate herd management level of 478.
Overpopulation is a threat to the long-term health of the land and the burros themselves. The roundup is also intended to address human health and safety concerns.
“Wild burros essentially have no natural predators, resulting in a rapid increase in population,” Kingman field manager Amanda Dodson said. “If not appropriately managed, herds can double in size every five years. The gather is being conducted to address herd health and overpopulation concerns with a future goal of maintaining a thriving, natural ecological balance on public lands in the Black Mountain Herd Management Area.”
The operation is expected to start on Jan. 8, 2024, and will take up to eight weeks.
Crews will use a helicopter to remove the animal and transport them to BLM Wild Horse and Burro facilities in Florence, Ariz. or Ridgecrest, Calif. They will then be prepared for private placement.
Animals removed from the Black Mountain Herd Management Area will eventually be available for adoption or sale through the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Private Placement and Care Program.