NYE COUNTY (KTNV) — The Bureau of Land Management will begin gathering wild burros near Beatty in Nye County this week.
The goal of the gathering and subsequent removal is to lessen the impacts to public safety and private property issues due to the overpopulation of wild burros.
The appropriate management level range for the Bullfrog Herd Management Area, where the gather is taking place, is 58 to 91 wild burros, according to the BLM.
The BLM now estimates there are approximately 1,197 burros in the area, after an April 2024 aerial survey and calculating population growth.
Roughly 250 burros are anticipated to be gathered and relocated.
The BLM said they will gather the burros using temporary corrals stocked with water and hay to bait and trap the burros.
No helicopters will be used.
Channel 13 has reported on the concerns brought forward by animal advocates who say the use of helicopters by the BLM to round up wild horses and burros has led to injuries and even some animal deaths.
Congresswoman Dina Titus has also introduced legislation multiple times that would phase out the use of helicopters in wild horse roundups.
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In a release announcing the October 2025 gather, the BLM said their priority is "to conduct a safe and efficient emergency wild burro gather exercising humane care and treatment for each animal."
Once removed, the burros will be taken to the Axtell Off-Range corral in Axtell, Utah, where they will be checked by a veterinarian and then prepared for the BLM's Wild Horse and Burro Adoption and Sale Program.