2020 Outside Cibola-Trigo HMA Nuisance Wild Burro Gather (Imperial and Cibola National Wildlife Refuges)
Purpose of Gather:
The purpose of this gather is to remove nuisance burros that are damaging wildlife refuge and private property and creating a public safety hazard for motorists along roadways. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has received complaints of natural resource loss, infrastructure damage and destruction, and concerns about human health and safety by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Imperial and Cibola national wildlife refuges and adjacent private property owners.
Details of Gather:
The BLM plans to remove 150 nuisance burros from the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge and 150 nuisance burros from the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge including adjacent private land outside the Cibola-Trigo Herd Management Area (HMA) between the months of September and November 2020, via bait trapping, water trapping, or both. A contractor and BLM staff will set temporary traps on refuge and private lands, and will remove the panels, hay and manure once the trapping is complete. For the purpose of this gather no burros will be treated with fertility control. All trapping operations will be overseen by the Yuma Field Office.
Public Observation:
There will be no public viewing opportunities for this gather due to the nature of the gather.
Adoption Information:
Animals removed from outside the Cibola-Trigo HMA will be made available for adoption at the Florence Wild Horse and Burro Training and Off-Range Corral in Florence, Arizona, through the Wild Horse and Burro Adoption Program. Those that are not adopted will be cared for in off-range pastures, where they retain their “wild” status and protection under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burro Act.
Background:
The Cibola-Trigo HMA is in southwestern Arizona, north of Yuma. The area parallels the eastern shoreline of the Colorado River for approximately 60 miles from Yuma to Ehrenberg. The estimated population for this HMA as of March 2020 is approximately 616 wild burros and 275 wild horses based on various analytical population count data and reports.
- Daily Gather Reports
September 11, 2020
10 burros (8 jennies, 2 colts)September 12, 2020
1 burro (1 jack)September 13, 2020
no burrosSeptember 14, 2020
10 burros (3 jacks, 4 jennies, 3 colts)September 15, 2020
59 burros (40 jacks, 12 jennies, 7 foals)September 16, 2020
51 burros (15 jacks, 29 jennies, 7 foals)September 17, 2020
21 burrosSeptember 18-21, 2020
0 burrosSeptember 22, 2020
20 burros (1 jacks, 14 jennies, 5 foals)September 23, 2020
9 burros (3 jacks, 3 jennies, 3 foals)September 24, 2020
27 burros (7 jacks, 15 jennies, 5 foals)September 25, 2020
15 burros (9 jacks, 4 jennies, 2 foals)September 26, 2020
29 burros (21 jacks, 7 jennies, 1 foals)September 27, 2020
12 burros (6 jacks, 4 jennies, 2 foals)September 28, 2020
21 burros (7 jacks, 8 jennies, 6 foals)September 29, 2020
5 burros (1 jacks, 2 jennies, 2 foals)September 30, 2020
15 burros (4 jacks, 7 jennies, 4 foals)
Gather Status
Current as of: September 30, 2020
Contractor: Cattoor Livestock LLC
Gather Method: Bait trap
Planned Gathered (#): 300 burros
Planned Removed (#): 300 burros
Planned Mares Treated (#): 0
Total Animals Gathered: 305
Total Animals Released: 5
Total Deaths Cumulative (#): 1
- Acute (#): 1 Wild Burro (0 Jacks, 1 Jenny, 0 Foals)
- Chronic/Pre-existing (#): 0 Wild Burros (0 Jacks, 0 Jennies, 0 Foals)
List animal’s age, color, gender and cause(s) of death: On September 23, one female ran into the panels at the trap site and fractured neck.
Facility Destination: Shipped to Florence
- 56 burros on September 16
- 96 burros on September 17
- 28 burros on September 24
- 61 burros on September 29
- 58 burros on September 30
Total Released Cumulative (#): 5
Scroll to the bottom of this gather page for detailed “Daily Gather Reports"