Bureau of Land Management to Offer Burros, Young Wild Horses for Adoption

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Bureau of Land Management, California

BLM Office:

Northern California District Office

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A family looks through the corral at a burro awaiting adoption. Photo by  Jeff Fontana, BLM.CRESCENT CITY, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management will offer 11 burros and two gentled wild horses for public adoption from Saturday to Sunday, Aug. 26-27, at the Del Norte County Fairgrounds, 421 U.S. Route 101, Crescent City. Adopters can select from six male (Jack) burros and five female (Jennies) burros, along with two gentled foals (under a year old), from the Devil’s Garden Herd Territory on the Modoc National Forest.

Potential adopters can preview the animals from 3 to 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 25. On Saturday, gates open at 8 a.m. and adoptions get underway with an hour of silent bidding starting at 9 a.m. Animals not adopted during the bidding will be available for BLM’s $125 adoption fee until 5 p.m. Saturday, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

As stewards, the BLM manages wild horse and burro populations on public lands for the benefit of current and future generations. “Managing these populations at levels the land can support is part of our conservation responsibility,” said Stuart Mitchell, acting field manager, BLM Eagle Lake Field Office, Susanville.

To qualify, adopters must be at least 18 years old and United States residents. They must provide corrals offering least 400 square feet per animal. Burro corrals must be enclosed by 4 ½ foot fences built of pipe or boards. Adopters can house horses under 2-years-old in corrals surrounded by five-foot fences. The BLM requires two-sided, roofed shelters for adopted animals. Adopters receive title to their horses or burros after providing a year of good care.

The horses and burros are healthy and ready to train. The BLM has vaccinated the animals against all common equine diseases, including West Nile virus, and provides complete health care records to adopters.


The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.