In Oatman, Arizona, burros wander around the town and are a major draw for the half-million tourists that visit the tiny town annually, but it is the tourists that are making the burros - chubby! The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has asked the tourists to kindly refrain from feeding carrots and other goodies to the portly beasts as reported by MSNBC recently. The BLM is hoping that a reduction in the "all-you-can-eat" lifestyle will encourage the critters to return to their natural habitat and a healthier diet in the desert.
Jerry Love, of the Oatman Chamber of Commerce says, "It's a matter of educating the public, but it is not going to happen overnight". The BLM's efforts include asking storeowners to stop providing treats, telling tourists not to feed the animals, and putting up signs like "Give Burros Care, Not Carrots."
Store owner Jolene Brown said the burros aren't taking kindly to their new weight-loss regimen--some of the grumpy burros kicked in the door of her shop and chewed on some of her books. "I'm sure they can learn to forage, but people come from the entire world to feed the burros," Brown told the AP.
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