A new study from the Arizona Game and Fish Department has found feral burros are harming wildlife in the Sonoran Desert.
Biologists researched areas around Lake Havasu and Lake Pleasant with similar vegetation and burro herds.
Researchers found 30% less ground cover from foliage where burros were present. Palo verde trees, ironwood trees and saguaro cactuses had the most significant damage.
The Bureau of Land Management says the appropriate number is about 14,000 burros in herd management areas, but it’s estimated there are about 10,000 in the state’s management areas.
Game and Fish biologists say 300 species rely on the foliage that is being damaged by the burros, which are not native to Arizona.
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