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Pesky burros being relocated from Big Bear Valley
Midnight snacks on residential landscaping and hee-hawing that keeps the neighborhood awake are among Big Bear Valley residents' complaints about 50 burros that will be rounded up and hauled to an adoption facility, officials said Wednesday.
The herd has set up housekeeping around a creek in the verdant Shay Meadow, which is surrounded by the residential areas of Erwin Lake, Hamilton Ranch and Sugarloaf, southeast of Big Bear Lake, said Robin Eliason, district wildlife biologist for the U.S. Forest Service.
"We're getting a lot of phone calls from people complaining about the burros. They make a lot of noise at night; when the males are defending their territory they can be very vocal," Eliason said. "They don't respect private property boundaries. They go right into people's yards and get into their trash and chow down on their landscaping."
Several burros have been injured or killed in the past year while crossing Highway 38, Eliason said. She fears a driver could be next.
The Forest Service has been baiting an empty corral in Shay Meadow with hay and water, to draw the burros. The Bureau of Land Management is scheduled to begin setting up its corral today, with one-way gates that allow the animals in but not out. They are expected to start catching burros on Tuesday.
The animals will be moved by trailer to BLM corrals in Ridgecrest, where they will be put up for adoption for $125 each. There is a demand for them on farms in the East, where they are used to pull carts, control weeds and to guard livestock from predators, said Alex Neibergs, a wild horse and burro specialist at the BLM field office in Ridgecrest.
Many of the residents who have complained about the burros are in newer developments that don't have fences, Eliason said.
In the mid-1990s, many homeowners erected fences because a herd of about 100 burros that were hand-fed had begun sneaking dog food off porches, drinking from bird baths and raiding trash cans. They were a regular sight on the streets of Big Bear.
At the time of the last roundup in 1997, up to 20 burros a year were being killed on the streets. Some also died after ingesting plastic bags and poison in trash, and some were mauled by dogs.
"We want to keep that from happening again," Eliason said.
She recommended that people not leave food or water out for the animals, secure trash cans and gently chase burros away from neighborhoods. Sightings should be reported to Eliason at 909-382-2832 or [email protected].
Officials said the burros are likely left over from the Old Miner's Days celebration, which featured a days-long burro race through the forest. Early settlers of the area went to the desert to catch burros, brought them to Big Bear for the race then let them go around Baldwin Lake. Over time, a herd grew.
No roundups are planned for wild burros living in national forests around Rose Mine, Juniper Springs or Broom Flats, east of Highway 38. Visitors are most likely to see them in the early morning or late afternoon and evening.
To learn more about the BLM's adoption program for wild horses and burros, go to https://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/wi...and_burro.html or call 866-468-7826.
The herd has set up housekeeping around a creek in the verdant Shay Meadow, which is surrounded by the residential areas of Erwin Lake, Hamilton Ranch and Sugarloaf, southeast of Big Bear Lake, said Robin Eliason, district wildlife biologist for the U.S. Forest Service.
"We're getting a lot of phone calls from people complaining about the burros. They make a lot of noise at night; when the males are defending their territory they can be very vocal," Eliason said. "They don't respect private property boundaries. They go right into people's yards and get into their trash and chow down on their landscaping."
Several burros have been injured or killed in the past year while crossing Highway 38, Eliason said. She fears a driver could be next.
The Forest Service has been baiting an empty corral in Shay Meadow with hay and water, to draw the burros. The Bureau of Land Management is scheduled to begin setting up its corral today, with one-way gates that allow the animals in but not out. They are expected to start catching burros on Tuesday.
The animals will be moved by trailer to BLM corrals in Ridgecrest, where they will be put up for adoption for $125 each. There is a demand for them on farms in the East, where they are used to pull carts, control weeds and to guard livestock from predators, said Alex Neibergs, a wild horse and burro specialist at the BLM field office in Ridgecrest.
Many of the residents who have complained about the burros are in newer developments that don't have fences, Eliason said.
In the mid-1990s, many homeowners erected fences because a herd of about 100 burros that were hand-fed had begun sneaking dog food off porches, drinking from bird baths and raiding trash cans. They were a regular sight on the streets of Big Bear.
At the time of the last roundup in 1997, up to 20 burros a year were being killed on the streets. Some also died after ingesting plastic bags and poison in trash, and some were mauled by dogs.
"We want to keep that from happening again," Eliason said.
She recommended that people not leave food or water out for the animals, secure trash cans and gently chase burros away from neighborhoods. Sightings should be reported to Eliason at 909-382-2832 or [email protected].
Officials said the burros are likely left over from the Old Miner's Days celebration, which featured a days-long burro race through the forest. Early settlers of the area went to the desert to catch burros, brought them to Big Bear for the race then let them go around Baldwin Lake. Over time, a herd grew.
No roundups are planned for wild burros living in national forests around Rose Mine, Juniper Springs or Broom Flats, east of Highway 38. Visitors are most likely to see them in the early morning or late afternoon and evening.
To learn more about the BLM's adoption program for wild horses and burros, go to https://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/wi...and_burro.html or call 866-468-7826.