Two wild donkeys were recently shot with arrows in Moreno Valley, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said on Tuesday, June 17.
The department did not disclose when the incidents are believed to have occurred.
This is not the first time wild burros have been targeted. In 2022, a burro was shot with an arrow in a canyon north of Moreno Valley. Despite receiving treatment, the animal died. Another burro was shot in the ear in 2018.
Reche Canyon, which stretches roughly from Colton in San Bernardino County to Moreno Valley in Riverside County, is home to a large population of wild burros.
As of 2023, more than 1,000 burros reside in the canyon, the largest population of wild donkeys in California, according to the office of state Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh.
The donkeys are known to wander into nearby neighborhoods and have been struck and killed by trains and vehicles. There have also been numerous complaints, according to San Bernardino County Supervisor Dawn Rowe.
In April 2025, San Bernardino County signed contracts with DonkeyLand, a Riverside-based nonprofit, to care for and sterilize donkeys from both Reche Canyon and the nearby San Timoteo Canyon area.
“We are working closely with DonkeyLand and partner organizations to try and capture the injured donkeys and transport them to a clinic for medical treatment if possible,” Moreno Valley Animal Services said in a statement. “The public can call us at 951-358-7387 if they see any free-roaming, injured burros.”
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department referred questions to Moreno Valley Animal Services, which directed Southern California News Group to City Hall. From there, inquiries were passed to the city clerk’s office, which did not respond.
