7 days in Death Valley! I really didn't want to leave! But if I hadn't left on the day I did, I might not have seen this beautiful wild animal! My friend was following me and when I pulled my car over to get some pictures, she didn't really realize that this was a "wild" burro. She had never seen a "wild burro or horse" before. So she was really excited. I love these little burros! They have a rosy undercoat beneath their gray coat and notice the markings along the shoulder and on his back just before his tail. Almost like the markings found on wild horses and Zebras on the African plains. Very cool! PS..... notice the tip of his ear is missing? Either a fight with another horse or maybe a predator when he was young! Thanks for all the wonderful comments on my last post and I'm not planning on going anywhere else until May, so I should be able to post a little more often. Here's a little more info on our "wild" friends: An Act Of Congress "Congress finds and declares that wild free-roaming horses and burros are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West; (and) that they contribute to the diversity of life forms within the Nation and enrich the lives of the American people ..." (Public Law 92-195, December 15, 1971) MODERN DAY WILD HORSES Today most wild horse herds are restricted to far Northeast California, Eastern Oregon, Idaho, one small area of Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. There are also a few isolated herds on the Eastern Seaboard islands, as well as a few pockets here and there in the Dakotas and the South. These last mentioned herds are not part of the BLM Wild Horse & Burro Program - just the ones in the western states. Today�s wild horses are a true American Melting Pot of horses, and with the help of Natural Selection, they are intelligent, sound-minded, sure-footed, and strong. Mustangs normally have excellent feet that often do not require shoes, and strong, hardy constitutions. Having had the benefit of life within a functional natural social unit, they are well-socialized and savvy. Once they overcome their natural fear of people, they can be trained to ride, drive, and perform, just like any other horse. To maintain herd levels at numbers that are acceptable to local ranchers and hunters of the game that lives on the same lands, and to keep the herds from overpopulating the BLM periodically rounds up wild horses. After branding, worming, and being given their vaccinations, the captured wild horses are available at BLM Wild Horse Facilities for adoption for $125 each to whoever can provide a proper home and care for them.