BURNS – During the month of December, dozens of wild horses and burros will be available for adoption at a reduced fee from the Bureau of Land Management Burns District.

The BLM announced last week that its Burns District will offer 83 gelding and stallions that are ages four years and older for $25 through Dec. 31. For anyone who adopts a qualifying animal during the month, the agency will also wave its hauling fee from the Burns facility up to 400 miles away.

According to the BLM, its standard adoption fee is $125, and free hauling in Oregon and Washington has been offered only once before. The reduced-fee program is aimed at moving more BLM-managed horses and burros that are currently in holding facilities into permanent homes.

The BLM adoption program stipulates that an individual can adopt up to four animals in a one-year period, and adopters receive official ownership only after providing one year of humane care.

Since 1973 the BLM has placed 214,000 wild horses and burros into private ownership through adoption.

Most of 83 wild geldings and stallions available for adoption at the reduced fee from the Burns site were gathered from rangelands in one of three herd management area in southeastern Oregon: Warm Springs, Sand Springs and Three Fingers.

For more information on the Wild Horse and Burro Program, contact the Burns District office 541-573-4400 or visit www.blm.gov/or.