It’s the wild horse controversy, served up Tex-Mex style, with shorter legs and longer ears. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is shooting wild burros found on state land in the Big Bend region. The burros have their advocates, and even on the adjoining Big Bend National Park, it is illegal to hunt the wild burros, which are not a native species, but are considered to be historically significant.

Read the Associated Press story on the controversy, which emphasizes the conflict between native bighorn sheep, prized by wealthy hunters, and the lowly burros, embraced by animal-lovers across class lines. Here’s the story in the New York Times. (But if you are trying to keep under your monthly article limit, here is the same story in the Washington Post.)

The Wildlife Society’s position is that burros are not native, and the feral animals need to be managed responsibly. Read the organization’s comment here.