Reche Canyon donkey attacks have stopped, investigator says

After months of speculation, the mystery behind the Reche Canyon donkey attacks seems to be solved.

The attacks have stopped ever since two dogs thought to be responsible for the assaults have apparently been removed from the area. About a dozen wild burros were found severely wounded earlier this year, often with deep lacerations on their ears, rumps and hind legs. Several animals had to be euthanized as a result of their injuries.

Lesley Huennekens, the Riverside County Department of Animal Services field commander leading the investigation, said the last attack of a wild burro near Reche Canyon was recorded March 31 by a local resident.

Animal Services identified that a large black Cane Corso and a black-and-tan shepherd mix were behind the assaults. The donkeys’ wounds were consistent with domestic dog bites — wild animals typically go for the neck region rather than the hind quarters, where they risk getting kicked.

Based on neighbor testimony, Huennekens said she tracked down the dogs’ owner, but by the time she got there, the dogs had already been removed from the property.

“We believe that we located the person who owned these dogs,” Huennekens said. “Unfortunately, we were never able to locate the dogs at the home.”

But “interestingly enough,” she said, “the attacks stopped after we visited the property.”

The attacks, which largely took place in a 20-square-mile area in the hills behind the Reche Canyon’s preserve maintained by the nonprofit DonkeyLand, began late last year. Reche Canyon crosses county lines, stretching roughly from Colton to Moreno Valley. Officials estimate hundreds of burros live in the canyon, which has the largest population of wild donkeys in California.

According to DonkeyLand, more than a dozen were mauled before the end of March. Huennekens said she could only confirm about nine of those cases. Most of these animals had to be euthanized, according to previous statements from DonkeyLand.

DonkeyLand, a wild burro rescue and sanctuary spanning more than 2,000 acres, did not respond to a request for comment.

It doesn’t appear that the animals were trained to harm the burros; rather, it’s more likely that the animals escaped or that the owners left a gate open. Huennekens said it appears that one dog would hold the donkey by its muzzle while the other one would bite from behind. Many of the animals were yearlings, she said.

“A full-size donkey, dogs would have a hard time bringing down,” she said. “But the yearlings, unfortunately, make an easier target.”

Because Huennekens said they’ve been unable to verify the perpetrators with complete certainty, she can’t share any more information at this time. She asked anyone with more information to contact the department.

“It is still considered an open case,” she said. “It’s possible that the dog owner may end up back in the area.”

These attacks are unrelated to last year’s incidents, in which several donkeys were shot with arrows. So far, Animal Services hasn’t received any credible information on who might be behind those attacks.

There also were reports circulating about a decapitated donkey, but because the dead animal was never reported to Animal Services or the Riverside Police Department, Huennekens said she believed those images were fake.

“Unfortunately, we receive a lot of AI-generated information,” she said. The department also received AI images of donkeys running down the road in front of Fox Theater in downtown Riverside, she said. “We get all kinds of crazy things.”