Didn't know they culled that many and kept the herd that small
Yellowstone National Park is proposing to reduce its celebrated bison herd by 1,000 animals this winter by rounding up those wandering into adjacent Montanaand delivering them to Native American tribes for slaughter, officials said on Wednesday.
The longstanding but controversial annual culling is designed to lessen the risk of straying Yellowstone bison infecting cattle herds in Montana with brucellosis, a bacterial disease carried by many bison, also known as buffalo.
Yellowstone bison, the nation’s last sizeable herd of wild, purebred buffalo, are a top attraction for the millions of tourists who annually visit the park, which spans parts of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.
The size of the bison culling varies from year to year, and removing 1,000 animals this winter would mark the largest single reduction since more than 1,600 were taken from the herd in the winter of 2007-2008.
The herd was estimated to number some 4,900 head this summer, and the culling - mostly females - is aimed at bringing it closer to its target population of about 3,000 animals.
the people who picked up the calf speaks out
The Quebec man who put a baby bison in his SUV at Yellowstone National Park is defending his actions in an exclusive interview with CBC News.
Shamash Kassam of Brossard, Que. and his son Shakeel were driving in the U.S. park on May 9 when they came across a baby bison on the side of the road next to a car parked on the shoulder.
"It was shivering badly," Shamash said.
The Kassams asked the woman who was by the car what had happened.
In an interview with KUTV 2News in Salt Lake City Natalie Kinzel said she watched as the bison calf got swept down the river. It eventually got out of the water but was alone.
"It was just heart-wrenching because it was literally collapsing and there was no buffalo around," Kinzel said.
"It was so pitiful," Kinzel said. "We were teary eyed when we left."
The Kassams left the area but decided to turn back to help the bison.
"We were afraid if we left it there, it would be road kill," Shamash said.
"The main reason we picked it up was because it was abandoned by its herd."
There was no cell phone service in the area so they put the bison in their SUV and drove off to a ranger station.
"We were always thinking that once we bring it to the ranger, they will be able to take care of it." Shamash said.
The ranger tried to reunite the calf with its herd but when that was unsuccessful, the park made the decision to euthanize it.
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