Donkeys and wolves face off in an environmental duel in Colorado

In Colorado ranches a particular scene has begun to be seen: groups of feral donkeys mix among the ranchers' cattle.

This is a desperate strategy to try to counteract the rise in the wild wolf population, which has pitted ranchers and environmentalists against each other.

State cattle entrepreneurs have had to resort to non-lethal strategies to deter wolves, such as red flags and pyrotechnic devices.

Killing wolves is prohibited by law, except in self-defense.

Although donkeys are not immune to attack, their defensive behavior makes them a strong deterrent to predators.

Tension has risen in the wake of a referendum voted on in 2020, which approved a scheme to reintroduce the gray wolf to the area.

50 specimens of the species are waiting to be released in the state area.

"If you voted to restore the wolves, don't come. You are not welcome," reads a protest sign in Colorado. JASON CONNOLLY (AFP)

The program, which has been criticized by the rural population, is defended by environmentalists.

Since the mid-20th century, the number of wolves began to decline until reintroduction programs began in the 1970s.

The prolonged absence of the predator generated an increase in the population of elk and deer.

It also led to an increase in wasting disease, a contagious disease among cervids.

The authorities have tried to compensate for the situation by offering compensation for lost cattle.

However, the ranchers maintain that the claim process is bureaucratic and requires proof that death was due to a wolf attack, which is difficult to prove.

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