See Beatty's Wild Burros, Beatty, Nevada

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Burros were brought to the desert in the mid-19th century by settlers looking for gold, and are considered a non-native species by the federal government.  Death Valley National Park isn’t a fan of these large-eared fellas. A roundup aimed at eradicating thousands of them kicked off in 2018, despite pushback from many in Beatty, were they’re viewed as beloved town mascots.  From 1961 until 1972 the local Lions Club held annual burro races that drew competitors from the United States, Canada, and as far away as Iran. National attention was brought to the race when Reg Potterton wrote a feature article about the 1971 race for Playboy magazine. The story, appearing in the May 1972 issue, featured stories about the town, the contestants, and the tourists who attended. Eventually the races were discontinued after organizers decided that the visitors they attracted were not good for Beatty's image.

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