Wild burro sightings are becoming more common these days out on the northern end of Peoria as more than 700 of the federally-protected animals are estimated to live in the Lake Pleasant area.
The Arizona Bureau of Land Management manages eight wild horse and burro herd management areas on about 2.3 million acres. Sightings are taking place outside the Lake Pleasant Herd Management Area, which covers about 103,000 acres and is north of State Route 74 and northeast of Lake Pleasant.
Officials said the Lake Pleasant herd management area population was last estimated at 756 burros, which is well above the number of animals the habitat can support. This increase has resulted in range expansion and increased overlap with urban areas, representing a growing risk to public safety and animal welfare.
