Saturday’s auction featured mustangs from several parts of northeast California, including Twin Peaks, Devil’s Garden and Ravendale in Lassen County, as well as parts of Nevada. The burros, or donkeys, came from the Mohave Desert in Southern California, said Jeff Fontana, a bureau spokesman.The burros and horses, which range in age from about 2 to 5 years, were kept in corrals while onlookers peered at the animals and placed written bids of at least $125. The auction consisted of 70 horses and 10 burros, Fontana said.The new owners typically use the animals for leisure riding on the weekends, racing competitions, programs for at-risk youth and camping, he said.Fontana said the animals are strong and reliable. The horses, especially, have keen instincts that they’ve had to develop for survival in the wild, which makes them even more valuable to their new owners.”They really value their loyalty and their intelligence,” he said.Fontana said since the program began in 1971, more than 200,000 animals have been adopted.Contact reporter Rhashad Pittman at 209 239-3324 or rpittman@recordnet.com

Posted: 09|12|05 at 9:42 am. Filed under: US News.