Custer State Park is located in the Black Hills section of South Dakota. While it is known for large resident herds of bison, pronghorn, whitetail deer, and mule deer, it also has a small herd of wild burros that have flourished there for many decades. The burros are not indigenous to the region; instead they were originally brought in to serve as pack animals when tours were offered from Sylvan Lake Lodge up to the summit of Black Elk Peak. The tours were eventually discontinued, at which point the burros were released into the park and they have continued on since. It is common to encounter them throughout the many rolling hills of grasslands located there. They are friendly, and will often interact with the human visitors, likely hoping for a gift of a carrot or an apple. However, they are wild and do not have to depend on humans for their sustenance needs. The Wild Images Team has visited Custer State Park a couple of times so far, and while there we often find small herds of the burros in some of the more remote areas where we like to capture images of them in their natural habitat. Here are two of them grazing contentedly in the colorful grasslands fronting the background peaks. We try to keep our distance such that they remain unaware of us in order to truly watch their wild behavior. And of course if they do see you, they often will come over to say hi (and hope for a treat!). The Wild Images Team has captured many other images from South Dakota such as the bright flash of a colorful lightning strike over the badlands, the moment that a pronghorn displays its phenomenal physique, and the time that a massive bison bull came meandering past, each of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts from South Dakota have documented the centuries long carving of the massive Crazy Horse Monument, the very majestic Mount Rushmore and the Avenue of Flags, the expansive view as wild burros walk through the rolling prairies, the ever wary prairie dog stands at attention in the prairie, the amazing location of the granite roadways through Custer State Park, when The Wild Images Team encountered a remote end of trail sign in the middle of nowhere, this close up image of textures in a colorful badlands mound, the interesting time when a flock of turkeys photobombed our image, and The Wild Images Team sunset shadows over Badlands National Park. In neighboring North Dakota, The Wild Images Team has captured images such as the contrast created by the horizontal color bands cross through yellow badlands and the entire herd as a group of wild horses cluster together on a hilltop, each of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts of North Dakota have documented the herd of bison grazing in the grasslands and the ever changing colorful badland mound that caps a rolling ridge. In neighboring Wyoming, The Wild Images Team has captured images such as the contrast found in the colorful grasslands and background Grand Teton National Park peaks, the varying landscape of Grand Teton National Park rocky peaks and clouds, the large antlers on display as an elk takes a look back in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, the vertical abruptness as Devils Tower rises above the red rocks and green pines, and the many hues found as the colorful badlands cover over this very remote region, each of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts from Wyoming have documented as the rugged snowy peaks rise above wildflowers, and as The Wild Images Team Travel Gnome poses for a picture at the Meeteetse “Where Chiefs Meet” welcome sign. In neighboring Montana, The Wild Images Team has captured images such as a group of white mountain goats as they graze the highlands, an expansive view of rocky ridges extending to the horizon, the colorfully massive wall of Hidden Lake, high altitude view of tundra and glacial lakes, a very remote reflective alpine lake covered with rocks, and an ominously approaching heavy downpour over the green foothills, all of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts from Montana have documented the very deep blue waters of McDonald Creek and the panoramic view of The Wild Images Team at Hidden Lake.
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