GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, AZ (AZFamily) — The impact of the Dragon Bravo Fire continues to be felt at the Grand Canyon.
If you’ve ever been to the historic Grand Canyon Lodge at the North Rim, you’ve likely seen “Brighty The Burro,” a sculpture dedicated to a real-life donkey who lived in the Grand Canyon in the early 1900s.
The Grand Canyon Historical Society shared an image on Facebook that appears to show the sculpture has been destroyed by the Dragon Bravo Fire. The image has not been verified by Arizona’s Family.
The bronze burro has been in the lodge for more than 50 years, with hikers often rubbing its nose before heading onto a hike. Brighty’s story was turned into a children’s book and then a movie, whose director commissioned the sculpture.
Lauren Hoeffer fell in love with the donkey after her father gifted her the children’s book as a kid. She hopes the sculpture can be rebuilt.
“I just wonder if he can be fixed,” she said. “From the one image I’ve seen, it looks like he lost his legs. Hopefully his ears are okay. Hopefully they can find the pieces and put him together somehow.”
Hoeffer said she will be auctioning off some collectibles and will give the proceeds to a fundraiser to rebuild the North Rim.
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