A procession of donkeys, horses and burros took to the streets in downtown Austin on Wednesday, January 18, 2012, to protest a plan to kill more wild donkeys currently living in state parks. State representatives refer to the donkeys as "feral," but supporters claim that term makes them seem dangerous and wild.
The wild burro protection league-- along with the red horse nation-- marched with the animals to the state capitol. The state says culling the animals is the only way to handle the over-population.
More than 100,000 signatures have been collected in an effort on the part of donkey enthusiasts to cease any more indiscriminate killings of wild donkeys at Big Bend State Park, originally based on what Texas Parks and Wildlife officials labeled as a significant threat to the park’s ecosystem as they try to introduce new animals to the environment. They were presented to representatives of the state parks at the capitol.
The state is in talks with the Humane Society about a potential burro sanctuary. But there is one serious stumbling block: Money. Texas Parks and Wildlife says the sanctuary would need to be funded by anoutside source.