In a state brimming with mustangs, let’s not forget our beguiling, befriending burros

By Matt Hufman

Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013 | 2 a.m.

When people in Nevada mention equines, what usually comes to mind are images of wild mustangs galloping across the desert — freely, or being coerced by helicopters into corrals in an effort to control their population.

Although wild horses get all the attention, burros are the backbone of Nevada and the West. Burros, which are small donkeys, were used throughout the West as work animals for decades.

Burros roam all around Nevada, including some who mosey down to the fences along the perimeter of the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, posing for hikers. But we don’t often see them in our towns.

That brings us to the Beatty Burros, who I wrote about during our first “Finding Nevada” trek.

At the time, the Beatty Burros weren’t in sight. But after our story, Betty "B.J." Carter, a 20-year resident of Beatty, has shared with us some of her photos of the animals.

She says the group includes a mom named Bekka and three children: a 4-year-old girl named Echo, a 3-year-old boy named Zero and a 1-year-old boy named Jackpot. Carter, who recently moved to Boulder City, says she named them.

Zero doesn’t seem to hang out in Beatty, but the others do. Carter says Echo looks just like mom, thus the name, and Jackpot looks like dad, who isn’t that friendly and stays away. Bekka and her two offspring, though, often can be found grazing at the courthouse and looking for handouts at the senior citizens center.

Enjoy the photos!