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A wild burro nicknamed Cupid is healing after a medical procedure subsequent to being struck with an arrow in what officials call the latest in a string of half a dozen attacks beginning in June on asses that traverse suburban-rural areas of California's southern interior.

Emergency Response Underway

The young jenny was spotted last midweek with a arrow shaft embedded in her upper body as she roamed with a group in the foothills of Moreno Valley.

Wildlife rescuers and the regional police answered the call and assisted in transporting the injured animal in for an critical surgery to remove the arrowhead. The projectile had penetrated the burro’s respiratory organ.

“Right now she’s stable and is upright, which is a huge improvement,” a sanctuary official remarked.

When Cupid is fully recovered, she will join a herd of rescued burros who wander a large refuge and wildlife preserve.

Reward Offered for Leads

The animal welfare organization is posting a significant reward, raised from donations, for information resulting in the capture and prosecution of those implicated in no fewer than six bow attacks on burros over the past several months.

The government office of animal services confirmed that the probe is continuing, and asked for the public’s help in locating a suspect or suspects.

Protected Species

Feral donkeys are shielded under national legislation. They are an iconic symbol of the US south-west, dating to their days as beasts of burden for people migrating to California during the 19th-century rush.

Burros have become an “community icon” of the region, where numerous of them have roamed without restriction for at least 75 years. They even help with blaze reduction by eating flammable vegetation in isolated and high-risk valleys.

“They truly offer a advantage to the community. Emergency responders love them because, they say: ‘Man, these animals can go areas we can’t go,’” a spokesperson mentioned.

Human-Animal Dynamics

The animals are docile but occasionally they can be a problem if they chomp on local gardens or cause delays when drivers stop to give them treats from their cars.

In the past, a neighboring county, where wild burros are believed to total in the thousands, worked alongside a non-profit to safely collect the animals and relocate them to sanctuaries.

“While the wild burros please numerous residents and visitors, they also commonly come across road traffic and cargo trains, leading to tragedy for both species,” officials reported.

“The burros also badly hurt themselves causing complications and loss of life when they become trapped in barriers or when their hooves get caught in memorial ornaments.”

Repeated Violence

The arrows used in the incidents were hunting-style tips, a type typically utilized for game pursuit. According to animal reports, the initial incident happened the start of the summer, when a small ass was found feeding with an arrow in her side near where Cupid was spotted.

Soon thereafter, a additional burro was found struck with a comparable type of arrow in the same area. Since then, at least three other donkeys were targeted in the locale, including a duo thought to be two to four months old.

Healthy donkeys typically live up to half a century and differ in stature from compact “minis” that may weigh 300lbs to large “giants”.

Previously, two men admitted to national offenses for using large-caliber weapons to take the lives of three wild burros in southern California’s Mojave Desert.