At least 11 California wild burros killed in mysterious attacks ...Middle East

Something is attacking the wild burros who roam the foothills and canyons between Colton and Moreno Valley.

At least 11 are dead, and officials aren’t sure what kind of animal is the perpetrator or why the attacks in the Reche Canyon area are happening.

The situation is so bad that a local donkey rescue is offering a $10,000 reward for information on the attacks, which some fear could be intentionally directed by humans.

“Please help,” DonkeyLand’s owners wrote on Facebook Wednesday, Feb. 25, in a post that included a photo of an injured burro bleeding from its ear. s calling for help span several months and began late last year.

“Someone knows something!” DonkeyLand officials wrote.

Nearly a dozen burros have been seriously injured over the last few months, according to social media posts from DonkeyLand — a Riverside-based nonprofit group that cares for and rescues the wild donkeys who live in the Reche Canyon and San Timoteo Canyon areas, between Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

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DonkeyLand founder Amber-LeVonne Cheatham said in a text message that the attacks are occurring in an area of the canyon reserve that locals call “the triangle of death” — and not on the group’s property near Crystal Hill Road in Reche Canyon.

Of the dozen severely hurt donkeys found in the area since December, all but two have died, said Leslie McDowell, a practice manager at the SoCal Equine Hospital in Norco, which for years has cared for and treated sick or injured burros.

One female burro found and brought to the hospital by Riverside County Animal Services officials Wednesday, Feb. 25, died later that night. The burro had suffered “irreparable” injuries, deep lacerations and wounds to her rear that McDowell said resemble injuries on other burros the hospital has seen. Surgery wasn’t possible and the burro had to be euthanized “to end the suffering.”

Two deceased donkeys’ bodies have been sent to a state lab for blood testing and further research into a possible reason — and cause — of the injuries and attacks, officials said. They hope to find answers from the tests, but that could take several weeks.

The wild burros of Reche Canyon are no strangers to attacks and illnesses while in the wild.

Several times over the years, including this past summer, some of the animals were shot dead by arrows. No arrests have been made, officials said.

In late 2020, more than 40 burros died from an equine influenza in the same area, and 20 more died from the same flu two years later.

SoCal Equine Hospital veterinarian Dr. Juan Castellanos, a member of the team that has regularly treated the burros for years, said the latest round of attacks — which started around December, are “atypical” of wild animal activity.

They could be signs of targeted attacks, he said.

Injuries to the animals’ rear, head and hind legs — which medical professionals found in these donkeys in recent months — don’t match the “typical” behaviors of predatory animals, Castellanos said. Predators usually attack vital organs, such as the belly or head, for faster kills.

Castellanos worries about the possibility that a dog trained by someone with a vendetta is attacking and killing the burros. He measured claw marks and fang bites found in some donkeys, which he said were about a quarter-inch — too small for a mountain lion bite, but too big for a typical German shepherd breed.

“It’s as if someone is sending them out and telling them to either go for the head or the butt — it’s hard to know for sure,” Castellanos said. “It’s a coincidence … we found the arrows, and then those attacks stops. And now these horrible attacks have occurred.”

Injuries from the recent attacks look more similar to those suffered in wild dog fights, said the veterinarian, who has in the past treated animals after such fights.

Castellanos said it’s common for residents of the Reche Canyon area — where there are homes on the outskirts of the ravine — to release their dogs “to scare the donkeys away,” but had no specific examples.

Riverside County Department of Animal Services works regularly with DonkeyLand to help transport injured burros to the hospital, and helps patrol the Reche Canyon areas within county jurisdiction. Spokesperson Veronica Perez said Wednesday that officials are investigating and working with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife on finding a possible culprit.

On Sunday, Feb. 15, county animal control officers responded to an injured burro “whose injuries warranted humane euthanasia at the site of the incident to prevent unnecessary suffering,” Perez said.

“Predatory attacks on herds of animals, including burros, horses, cattle or goats are not uncommon,” Perez said.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is not involved in the investigation, spokesperson Sgt. Robert Martinez said Wednesday, Feb. 25. San Bernardino County officials were also not aware of recent attacks or injuries to the burros in its jurisdiction, county spokesperson David Wert said.

A glimmer of good news can be found at the Norco hospital with an injured burro named by veterinarians as Cannoli.

The animal had several “claw-looking marks” and injuries to her rear, muzzle and ears after a weekend attack. McDowell said the burro is expected to make a complete recovery.

“She’s healing nicely,” said McDowell, who added that the plan is to send her in the next week or two back to the donkey sanctuary.

Still the overall situation is “unfortunately, not good odds,” she said.

Nearly all the injured donkeys have suffered injuries and deep wounds or bites to their ears, rump or inside their hind legs.

“Whatever is coming at them is coming at them from the back and attacking from behind,” she said.

Cheatham, of the DonkeyLand sanctuary, said she agreed with Castellanos’ assessment — that the wild donkeys don’t have the typical survival instincts if other animals in the wild and can easily get caught off guard. On social media, she offered a $10,000 reward for information on the attacks.

If anyone sees wild burros, they should never approach them or lure the animals toward roadways,  Castellanos and McDowell said. Rather, burros should be reported so animal control officers can be dispatched.

“Let the professionals handle it. Respect Donkeyland’s property — it’s devastating what’s going on right now, and we need to respect the ones who are safe,” McDowell said.

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On social media, Riverside County Animal Services encouraged Reche Canyon area residents to report any unusual activity, ensure their pets or livestock are secure and never to approach injured wildlife. A county call center to report injured sightings is available at 951-358-7387.

In April 2025, two years after a state law was passed allowing such partnerships for the purpose of veterinary care, San Bernardino County signed a deal with the DonkeyLand nonprofit to help care for and sterilize the wild donkeys from Reche Canyon and San Timoteo Canyon.

Castellanos estimated the number of burros currently living in the canyon, which has the largest population of wild donkeys in California, is in the high hundreds.

The attacks, he said, have affected the population, but not significantly, he said. Officials are trying to control the population through castration, which could benefit residents and the animals, he said.

“They can be friendly … but they are technically wild animals,” he said. “Leave them be, and they’ll leave you alone. We came into their environment, they’re trying to adapt and we’re just messing with that.”

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