Biologist Finally Found What’s Hunting Burros in Death Valley—And It’s More Dangerous Than You Think

Biologist Finally Found What’s Hunting Burros in Death Valley—And It’s More Dangerous Than You Think Wild burros have roamed the deserts of the American West since the Gold Rush. In Death Valley, the hottest place on Earth, something has been hunting them at the springs, dragging young burros into the reeds where no one would find them. It isn't coyotes. When scientists finally caught it on camera, what they found changed how they think about the whole desert, and it raised a warning about what happens if the burros disappear. Sources: Lundgren et al., A novel trophic cascade between cougars and feral donkeys shapes desert wetlands (preprint): https://biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2... The Wildlife Society, Do cougars affect ecosystems by preying on feral donkeys?: https://wildlife.org/do-cougars-affec... Field & Stream, Researchers capture first-ever photos of mountain lions preying on feral burros: https://www.fieldandstream.com/conser... Smithsonian, Wild donkeys and horses dig wells that provide water for desert species (2021): https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-... BLM, 2026 Wild Horse and Burro Population Estimates: https://www.blm.gov/sites/default/fil... BLM, 2026 Black Mountain HMA wild burro gather: https://www.blm.gov/programs/wild-hor... KTVU, Reward offered after 42 wild burros shot in California desert (2019): https://www.ktvu.com/news/reward-offe... NBC San Diego, Illegal burro killings in Death Valley (2023): https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/nati... National Parks Traveler, Eleven burros found dead of suspected algal bloom in Death Valley (2024): https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org... Pahrump Valley Times, Death Valley burros heading to new homes (2018): https://pvtimes.com/news/death-valley... Las Vegas Review-Journal, Park Service signs deal to round up Death Valley's wild burros: https://reviewjournal.com/news/nation... U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Kofa refuge mountain lion management plan (2010): https://www.fws.gov/story/2010-05/ref... Christian Science Monitor, A happy ending to the saga of Grand Canyon burros (1981): https://www.csmonitor.com/1981/0710/0... University of Missouri Extension, A bray keeps predators away (guard donkeys): https://extension.missouri.edu/news/a... Science News, DNA reveals donkeys were domesticated 7,000 years ago in East Africa: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/d... #wildburros #deathvalley #wildlife #donkeys #desert