| Yellowstone Bison Slaughter
|
| News
Article 2/25/04 |
 |
| |
|
|
| Dozens
of Yellowstone bison trapped, tested for brucellosis
By Scott McMillion
Bozeman Daily Chronicle Staff Writer
February 25, 2004
|
As
of Tuesday afternoon, 45 bison were being held in a National
Park Service trap near Gardiner, where they were being
sorted, tested for disease and segregated accordingly.
The number includes 33 animals captured Saturday and 12
more lured into the Stephens Creek trap on Tuesday, Yellowstone
National Park spokeswoman Cheryl Matthews said.
The animals had been hazed several times before they were
taken into the trap.
The Park Service plans to test all the bison it catches
this year for exposure to the disease brucellosis. Those
that test positive will be shipped to slaughter. Non-pregnant
calves and yearlings will be vaccinated for the disease,
marked with eartags and held in a stout corral until spring.
Then they'll be released.
Of the 33 captured Saturday, only seven showed no signs
of the disease in blood tests. Six of those will be vaccinated;
the seventh won't be because it is an adult female.
The other 26 will go to a slaughterhouse.
The 12 captured Tuesday haven't been tested yet, Matthews
said.
The vaccine, RB 51, recently passed scientific muster
as safe enough for use in the park. However, scientists
disagree about how effective it is in bison.
Rick Wallen, a wildlife biologist in the park, has said
that if vaccinated animals are captured again in the future,
they'll be tested for the disease, in hopes of gaining
more information about the vaccine's effectiveness.
This is the first time bison have been vaccinated in the
park. Last winter, 230 bison were shipped to slaughter
without being tested.
To the west of the park, the Montana Department of Livestock
operates two bison traps. It is not vaccinating any animals
until necessary environmental studies are complete.
Bison lured into those traps are tested for the disease.
Negative animals are marked with dye and released in the
area.
There are about 4,200 bison in the park, which is at or
near record levels.
Top
of Page |
|
|
|
|
|
|
