This wild burro was hanging out at the top of the cliff, keeping a close eye on me as I hiked. It was snorting very loudly, presumably to warn all the other burros that there was a human in the wash. I loved how the snorts echoed off the walls of the canyon, very effective warning system.
The history of the wild burros in the western US is pretty interesting. They were pack animals for the early miners; when the mine played out the miner would sometimes just turn them loose in the desert. Burros evolved in northern Africa, to them it felt like home. There are now thousands of them scattered over 5 western states. They're an invasive species, but so cute that the public outcry is huge any time population control is proposed.
