An archer may be shooting wild donkeys in Riverside County. Authorities there got word recently about two burros with arrows in their sides. Now they’re searching for the animals… and who did it.
Herds of wild donkeys have roamed the canyons between Riverside and San Bernardino counties for more than a century.
It’s believed that gold miners left their donkeys behind, and they’ve lived in the region ever since.
Riverside County Animal Services officials want to treat the two that people recently spotted with arrows in their torsos.
Kimberly Youngberg, with the county, says this kind of attack is rare — and the biggest threat to the donkeys often comes from well-meaning people.
“They try to feed them, which then, you know, habituate them to human contact, so that they're not afraid,” she said.
She says the feeding also habituates them to cars, because people dangle carrots and food out their car windows.
That leads to the animals getting hit, which Youngberg says is the most common cause of death for these donkeys.
Authorities say there are no suspects in the arrow attack.