Custer Burro – South Dakota.

In the late 1800s, miners and settlers began using burros to help transport gear and supplies around the Black Hills. It wasn’t long before people realized that these hardy animals could also assist in packing visitors and equipment up Black Elk Peak, the highest point in South Dakota.

By the end of the 1920s, organized pack trips to the summit had ceased, and the burros were simply turned loose. Over time, they adapted to the rugged terrain and became a small, free-roaming herd on the grassy hills around Custer.

Nearly 100 years later, fewer than 20 of these remarkable (and undeniably adorable) burros are surviving today – a living reminder of the region’s mining and tourism history.

– Buffalo Hydraulic