| Yellowstone Bison Slaughter
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| News
Article 3/17/04 |
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Some Yellowstone Bison Test for Brucellosis
Las Vegas Sun
Associated Press
March 17, 2004
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GARDINER,
Mont. (AP) - Thirty bison captured this week
near the
northern boundary of Yellowstone National Park have tested
positive for
brucellosis and are being sent to slaughter, the park
said Tuesday.
The bison were among 50 tested Tuesday. Twenty bison tested
negative
and were added to the number being held at the Stephens
Creek facility
for release in the park this spring, the park said. Fourteen
animals
were vaccinated.
Room at the Stephens Creek holding facility is running
out, the park
said. Currently, 174 bison that have tested negative are
being held at
the site for release this spring, and the park said only
about 26 more
could be held there.
Once holding capacity is reached, the park said, "all
remaining
bison will be shipped to slaughter without testing."
The bison tested Tuesday were among about 150 animals
captured
Sunday and Monday, the park said.
Brucellosis is an infection transmitted from animals to
humans by
ingestion of infected food products or direct contact
with an infected
animal. The bacteria that causes this disease are found
in unpasteurized
milk from diseased cows and also from the miscarried offspring
of farm
animals.
The capture and testing of bison from Yellowstone occurs
under a
joint state and federal management plan. An aim of the
plan is to reduce
the risk of transmission of brucellosis from bison to
cattle in Montana.
This year, about 457 bison have been captured at the Stephens
Creek
site, the park said. So far, 182 bison have been sent
to slaughter,
including seven bull bison that were not tested first,
the park said.
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