A wild burro was rescued from a unique situation in northwestern Arizona.
In a small area outside Kingman, the Bureau of Land Management staff launched into action, rescuing a wild burro trapped in a septic tank. The team had to cut open the tank to free the burro.
Dolores Garcia, a spokesperson with the BLM, said the mission was a community effort.
"[We] recruited the neighbors in the area, a lot of those folks from the RV park in the areas that took interest in the activity. You know, round it up, help to round up a backhoe to just help, you know, adjust some straps to this poor guy and lift him out of the septic tank,” Garcia said.
Garcia said the community named the burro “Septic Tank Sam” before safely releasing him back into the wild. She said it was possible that the burro had been stuck in the tank for multiple hours, even overnight, before rescue.
Garcia added that wildlife interactions like this aren’t uncommon.
“They find themselves especially in these areas that have a high human interest or, you know, homes and we call it the urban interface, where kind of the wild lands meets the homes in the communities," Garcia said.
Garcia recommended residents to call their local BLM office if they spot wildlife in danger. She said to keep a safe distance when helping the animals.
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