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Why
are the Yellowstone National Park
bison being slaughtered? |
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During
winter months, a portion of the Yellowstone buffalo population
migrates outside of the Park in search of better forage. Under
a cooperative agreement (Interagency
Bison Management Plan) among federal and state government
agencies, the Montana Department of Livestock (MDOL) hazes buffalo
and engages in a capture, test, and slaughter program that has
resulted in the deaths of more than 3,000 Yellowstone buffalo
since the mid 1980s. Last winter (2002-03), more than 200 of
the Park’s buffalo have been sent to slaughter. So far
this winter (2003-04) two lone buffalo bulls were shot and killed
by MDOL agents, all for stepping across an imaginary line.
A handful of ranchers graze cattle on public and private land
adjacent to Yellowstone National Park. The Montana Department
of Livestock (MDOL) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
claim that these cattle are at risk of contracting brucellosis
from Yellowstone’s buffalo, a disease originally brought
to wildlife from European cattle. It is extremely
important to note that there has never been a documented case
of a wild buffalo transmitting brucellosis to livestock.
Brucellosis is a disease that can cause spontaneous abortions
in cattle. The state of Montana on behalf of the livestock industry
has killed more than 3200 buffalo since 1985 based on the unsubstantiated
fear that Yellowstone buffalo will transmit brucellosis to cattle.
There has, however, never been a confirmed case of brucellosis
transmission from buffalo to cattle under natural conditions.
Indeed, in Grand Teton National Park, where infected buffalo
and livestock have co-mingled for more than 45 years, there
has not been a single incident of disease transmission. |
"The
so-called random shooting at the Montana borders is actually
eliminating or depleting entire maternal lineages, therefore
this action will cause an irreversible crippling of the gene
pool. Continued removal of genetic lineages will change the
genetic makeup of the herd, thus it will not represent the animal
of 1910 or earlier. It would be a travesty to have people look
back and say we were 'idiots' for not understanding the gene
pool."
"Bison have developed a natural resistance genetically
as long as they have enough to eat, limited stress and are not
consumed by other disease. There is no magic bullet in wildlife
disease, therefore management is important. Vaccines are one
management tool and one component, but genetic structure is
necessary for future management. Every animal which is removed
from the breeding population can no longer contribute to the
genetic variability of the herd."
Dr. Joe Templeton, Texas A& M University, Dept.
of Veterinary Pathobiology, Remarks made to the GYIBC May 21,
1998. |
| FAQ about the yellowstone buffalo slaughter |
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