Submitted By Malia Dietz
Burros are cute and fun to watch from a distance, few would debate this, but make no mistake about it, they can cause a lot of damage to property. There have been multiple reports over the years of the burros being hit on the road way or running into moving cars. Burros were introduced to the Big Bear area between 1900 and 1940. During this period, burros escaped from miners, movie sets, fox farms, and ranches. The present population consists of approximately 50-60 burros in the Big Bear area. These local burros are primarily of a gray coloring and the adults weigh about 500 pounds. The burros frequently visit the areas of Sugarloaf, Shay Meadows and can be seen in many other areas east of the Big Bear Valley, by way of walking down the highway nightly. The Forest Service tried to relocate the troublesome burros to about 10 miles out of town to a territory where they are protected by the federal Wild Horses and Burros Protection Act of 1971. But they made their way back to the Big Bear Valley. While it may be hard to resist, you should never feed a wild animal as they will not survive on their own if people keep feeding them.