A wild burro that authorities had been attempting to locate since photos emerged last week of the animal with an arrow lodged in its head was captured Monday in Riverside County.
About a week after news of the animal cruelty incident spread, the donkey was wrangled into a corral by staff at the nonprofit DonkeyLand on its property in the Reche Canyon area, according to John Welsh, a spokesperson for the Riverside County Department of Animal Services.
The animal was being taken to the SoCal Equine Hospital in Norco for further examination and treatment late Monday evening, Welsh said.
DonkeyLand employees told Animal Services that the burro appeared to have some fresh blood below its right ear, where the arrow had pierced its face. Its jaw and neck were also a bit swollen.
There were still no leads on who wounded the donkey in the first place. DonkeyLand said it is doubling its reward for information on the perpetrator, to $2,000.
The organization, which protects wild burros in the area, first highlighted the incident in a post on its Facebook page July 15. It’s still unclear when exactly the donkey was shot.
Riverside County officials became involved in the search last Wednesday, and though they were able to hit the animal with a few tranquilizer darts, they did not have the intended effect. At that point, the arrow had fallen from its face, but the wound remained visible.
Authorities are still searching for the shooter. Anyone with information on the incident can contact Animal Services at 951-358-7387 or email dhorn@riversidesheriff.org.
