In the early 1980s, an animal rights group airlifted nearly 600 wild burros out of Grand Canyon National Park. 

The media ate it up – magazines sold full-page ads advertising the cause and families from the East Coast clamored to adopt the rescued animals.

But conflict around wild burros in the West still exists today. What does one of the flashiest rescue stories of the last century tell us about the power of animal activism to make enduring change? 

Featuring Rebbel Clayton, Abbie Harlow, John MacPete, Dave Sharrow, Travis Ericsson, and Eric Claman. 

For a transcript and full list of credits, go to outsideinradio.org. 

LINKS

You can read Abbie Harlow’s paper, “The Burro Evil” here. 

If you’re interested in learning more about the burro adoption process, Cynthia Brannigan outlined her experience as an employee of the Fund for Animals in her book, “The Last Diving Horse in America.”  Research for this episode was also sourced from Julie Hoffman Marshall’s Making Burros Fly and Cleveland Amory’s Ranch of Dreams. 

Black Beauty Ranch currently houses more than 600 animals. You can read more about their work here. 

Check out dozens of archival shots from the rescue, via Northern Arizona University’s Cline Library.  

And yes, you can watch Brighty of the Grand Canyon on Youtube. 

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