Facebook

A Texas mayor was found dead after police said he was attacked by a male donkey on his ranch.

Hollywood Park Mayor William "Bill" Bohlke was killed by his 500-pound donkey in an apparent attack Monday, said Chief Deputy David Soward of the Atascosa County Sheriff's Office. Soward said the donkey remains on the ranch and an exact cause of death is pending.

"They [donkeys] can become very aggressive, very mean, sometimes triggered by a female in heat," Soward told the San Antonio Express-News. "We'll probably never know what triggered it, but it was evident that this particular donkey was involved, based on the evidence at the scene and what we saw on this donkey."

Soward would not comment if Bohlke was kicked or trampled, saying, "We can just surmise, based on the evidence that we have, all of that."

Bohlke, 65, was elected mayor of the south Texas suburb, north of San Antonio, in May. It was his first run for public office. He retired from the Air Force in 1990 after a 20-year career, according to the paper.

"Bill, your mayor, dearly loved serving you, our community, and we only wish he was here to continue doing so," read a statement from the family that was posted on Hollywood Park's website.

Soward says it's up to the family to decide what to do with the donkey. Mayor pro tem Steve Phillips will serve as acting mayor of Hollywood Park until a replacement is appointed.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.