A tragedy unfolded on Wednesday morning in Redlands, California, when a train collided with a herd of wild donkeys that had wandered onto train tracks. Witnesses said that the Union Pacific train tried to stop, but couldn’t, and when it struck the animals, several died or were gravely injured.
Christina Bersane, who lives nearby, described what she saw to ABC 7 News:
“As I am running, I couldn’t get to them on time and the train tried to stop and it skidded a little bit and it almost stopped, but it was too late.”
Animal control officers responded to the scene and humanely euthanized the donkeys who were suffering. A total of six donkeys perished from the train strike.
Residents in the area have noticed that the wild donkey population is growing and that it is causing problems; one area resident stated that the donkeys are creating hazards on the roads. Janet O’Connor told the news agency:
“I mean I am an animal lover. I have horses and burros, but something has to be done so this doesn’t happen all the time.”
Efforts are underway to sterilize the donkeys, and find a sanctuary to take them in.
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