Bureau of Land Management photo.

The Bureau of Land Management recently concluded a bait-and-trap roundup of 188 burros from public lands on the Seven Troughs Herd Management Area, located about 75 miles northeast of Reno, Nev.

A total of 128 jacks, 56 jennies and four foals were removed. An 8-year-old jenny suffered a broken neck at the trap site on June 4, according to BLM.

The roundup was conducted because of vehicle-burro collisions on Highway 447, burros spotted on Highway 447 and burros wandering into the town of Empire, Nev., according to a BLM press release. The agency also blames “resource damage” around the Porter Springs Recreation Management Area on an overpopulation of burros.

After the roundup, which ran from June 4 to June 2, about 52 burros remain on the 148,884-acre HMA, which has a BLM-set “Appropriate Management Level” of 28-46 burros and 94-156 wild horses.

Captured burros were transported to the Palomino Valley Center in Reno, Nev., where there will be prepared for adoption or sale.

Roundups being conducted in Fiscal Year 2019 have nothing to do with the Fiscal Year 2020 proposal to Congress supported by RTF and other rangeland stakeholders nor do any of the stakeholders have control over BLM’s planned removals.

RTF remains focused on long-term systemic changes leading to the end of the capture and removal of wild horses as soon as possible. RTF has always, and will continue to challenge and strongly oppose: government agencies euthanizing healthy animals, selling wild horses and burros without restriction (to slaughter), surgically sterilizing wild mares and jennies, as well as any other plans, methods and policies that RTF believes to be unnecessary, inhumane or unlawful.