Wild Ass :-)

There's a tiny town in AZ named Oatman...

Like many scattered sparsely populated AZ towns 

It once was a thriving mining community. 

2 miners struck a $10,000,000 gold find here in 1915

 At one time over 3500 souls called Oatman home

By 1924 the major mining company shut down

By 1941 the government ordered the remaining mining operation shut down

Its location near Route 66 kept the town alive thanks to tourism

But in 1953 a new highway totally bypassed the little town

Tourism vanished as quickly as the gold had

By the 1960's the town was for all intent and purpose

Abandoned

Then out of the desert 

The gambling oasis of Laughlin, Nevada was born

A short hop, skip and jump from you guessed it....

Oatman.

And again the tourists came

And came

And came

 

But one resident never left the dusty mining town

The burros

The lifeblood of the miner

 

Stubborn but sure-footed

Ultimate beast of burden

Pack in

Pack out

When the miners left

The burros stayed

Multiplied

Remain there still

They roam the town like Sunday Shoppers

Begging food off tourists

Free ranging

Stealing munchies out of purses 

No shame when a tasty morsel tempts their nostrils

Local merchants sell carrots just for folks to feed 'em

So if you ever pass near Laughlin, Nevada

Or Bullhead City, AZ

Or Needles, CA

Ask directions to Oatman

I promise you'll be entertained by the local wildlife.  ;-)