Mountain lions are eating California wild donkeys. Why scientists say this is a good thing.
Wild donkeys are in such short supply that they’re being re-introduced to the Sierra Nevada in the spring after they’re culled in the summer. In the last few years, one small herd has been allowed to roam the mountains. But, because they’re wild animals, hunters are not able to kill them.
“If hunters are going to take them, they’re going to have to kill them,” said Sierra Nevada National Forest Supervisor Joe Garza. “They will have to bring in game warden or somebody to come and shoot these animals.”
But now a number of ranchers and hunters are trying to kill the donkeys from an aerial perspective. A handful of hunters are using a drone to take shots from a high altitude. It’s a new technique that’s causing some controversy. Some people on social media are calling it unsporting and even dangerous.
“I do believe it presents a possible hazard to wildlife,” said Garza.
The hunters’ plan is to take out the animals in the area where they’re known to hang out and then bag them. The donkeys, which are generally about a half-mile from the trailhead, have been fed three times a day.
“We think that they’re going to use their food to lure out the donkeys,” explained Garza.
The hunters aren’t really sure what they’re going to use for bait, but they think something that’s not poisonous will come in handy. One drone pilot said that he’s been flying his vehicle for about one and a half years and has done everything from cattle to raccoons.
“You could use the same thing for a hawk, for example,” said Don Brown, who volunteers as a game warden on the Sierra Nevada.
In order to shoot a donkey with a drone, the hunters will have to take out the animal’s eyes
