Officials with the Bureau of Land Management Yuma Field Office are asking the public to refrain from stopping along Highway 95 to take photographs of wild horses and burros.
Wild burros
Officials with the Bureau of Land Management Yuma, Arizona, Field Office are asking the public to refrain from stopping along Highway 95 to take photographs of wild horses and burros.
"If you see a wild horse or burro, please do not stop along the roadway and attempt to photograph or feed the animals," officials said in a press release. "Interfering with wild horse and burro natural movements can cause the development of unfavorable traits such as approaching vehicles and a lack of flight instinct," which may lead to deadly collisions with the large animals on the highway.
In addition to the safety of the animals, "slowing along a busy highway can cause traffic safety" issues for other motorists, officials said.
BLM officials also encourage motorists traveling along Highway 95 to keep an eye out for horses and burros in the roadway, especially between mileposts 52 and 58.
"Wild horses and burros in the area feed mostly during the day and move at night in order to search for sources of water," officials said. "This sometimes leads to burros approaching and crossing roadways."
Burro collisions continue to be a safety issue for motorists. During the summer months, several burros were killed by vehicles on Highway 95, mainly between mile markers 51 and 65.