Montana Large Animal Sanctuary & Rescue

From 1987 through 1994, National Park Service rangers shot to death over 400 wild burros at Death Valley National Park. Wild Burro Rescue, headquartered in Onalaska, WA, signs a moratorium with the National Park Service each year, agreeing that they (NPS) will not shoot any wild burros for that year if the Wild Burro Rescue will remove a specified number of them for the contract year.

"These annual live capture rescues are conducted under extremely hazardous conditions in rugged and remote mountain wilderness. Wild Burro Rescue co-founders and volunteers willingly risk serious injury to themselves inn order to insure the safety of the wild burros. helicopter herding, horse wrangler roping, handling, veterinary procedures, loading and transporting are all situationally modified to achieve a human rescue with minimum stress on the wild burros. The six week rescue operation is both physically and emotionally intense. There is no excitement or joy in taking these magnificent wild burros from their homeland, only anxiety and relief that they are safe from the marksman's bullet." (WBR brochure)

Wild Burro Rescue contacted the Montana Large Animal Sanctuary & Rescue, Inc. of Polson, MT requesting placement of some of the 87 burros captured / rescued this year.

Forest Davis loaned the Montana Large Animal Sanctuary & Rescue, Inc. his large draft horse trailer to make the 1300 mile trek to Death Valley Junction, CA, on March 25th to bring the burros home. Jody Baily, of Western Montana Mental Health accompanied Kathryn Warrington, President of MLAS&R, on the four and half day journey.

15 wild burros began their trip to Polson, MT at 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 27th, and arrived at the sanctuary at 5 a.m. on Monday, March 29th. For the safety of the burros, unused to such close quarters, Kathryn drove straight through, stopping only for gasoline, ten winks of sleep and to feed carrots and hay to the burros.

We brought in 9 Jennys (7 of them pregnant) and 6 Jacks. (One elderly male, over 30 years old, passed away only 5 hours from his new home, we have posthumously named him "Angelo". He was pure white.)

The burros are happily housed in pens built within the sand round pen behind the barn at the sanctuary. This allows for close contact with their care givers which helps in the 'gentling' process. Also, it provides easy access to the pregnant jennys who have begun giving birth and may be in need of assistance. Brian is sleeping outside their pen to keep a close ear for over a month now.

As of today, there have been 4 baby burros born at the sanctuary. Luna, Leonardo, Moonspark and our newest addition Girard. The mothers range in age from approx. 10 years old to 30 years old. They are exceptional mothers and all are doing very well.