Arizona state trooper rescues baby burro after its mother was run over by a car

After narrowly avoiding death by way of car earlier this month, a baby burro from Arizona lives on.

A female burro and her day-old foal old were roaming a roadway near Lake Pleasant, an hour north of Phoenix, when the mother was hit and killed by a car Sept. 5, according to a post by the Arizona Department of Public Safety. 

The baby boy burro was slightly injured, but remained in the area. 

AZDPS Sgt. Roger Hansen was one of the troopers sent out to survey the scene. 

Because he knew the baby burro would not survive out in the wild, he contacted a local wild horse and burro sanctuary  nearby to see if they could take him in. The baby burro was then loaded up in the back of his patrol vehicle. 

After arriving at the rescue, the baby burro was promptly matched with a nursing burro. 

“The little guy quickly settled in and adjusted to his adoptive mom, and has been eating, running, and playing just like a little burro should. Ms. Thomas’ grandson even named the little burro “Roger” in honor of Sgt. Hansen,” the post stated. 

When Roger is old enough to leave the rescue, a state trooper plans on adopting him.

Wild horses and burros represent pioneer spirit of the Old West

The population of wild burros and horses, as it stands this year comes to about 82,883. The Bureau of Land Management manages, protects, and controls wild horses and burros cross 26.9 million acres of public land, under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.

“Congress finds and declares that wild free-roaming horses and burros are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West; that they contribute to the diversity of life forms within the Nation and enrich the lives of the American people; and that these horses and burros are fast disappearing from the American scene,” the act stated. 

Congress created the act to protect these creatures from “capture, branding, harassment, or death.”  the bureau has the right to remove excess wild horses and burros to protect the health of public lands, according to the bureau's website. 

Wild horses can be found across 10 Western states, while wild burros are spotted in California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and Oregon. 

Some of the horses that are seen around the public lands were released or escaped from Spanish explorers, ranchers, miners, the U.S. Cavalry and Native Americans, the Bureau of Land Management reported. These animals are known for their sure-footedness, strength, intelligence and endurance. Excess wild horses or burros removed by the bureau can be purchased or adopted.

Some interesting facts about wild burros

• Wild burros come in a diverse range of colors, including black, brown, pinto and palomino.
• They are almost 4 feet tall on average and weigh 500 pounds. 
• Burros feed on a variety of plants like grasses, Mormon tea, Palo Verde and plantains. 
• They tend to hydrate through the plants they consume, but often go a long time without drinking.
•  Burros tend to assess a situation before fleeing.

More:5 burros found fatally shot in California’s Death Valley National Park, officials say