| Yellowstone Bison Slaughter
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| News
Article 3/18/04 |
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| Yellowstone
bison to be sent to slaughter without testing
Associated Press
March 18, 2004
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GARDINER,
Mont. - A facility that has been used to hold
captured bison near the northern border of Yellowstone
National Park has no more room, and any additional animals
captured in the area will be sent to slaughter without
first being tested for brucellosis, the park said Thursday.
At least 40 buffalo captured earlier this week already
were being sent to slaughter without brucellosis tests
because of the lack of room at the corral, the park said.
Slaughtering the animals without testing is allowed under
a joint management plan if the park's bison herd exceeds
3,000 animals. The park has estimated the population at
about 4,200.
The Stephens Creek facility has been used to hold animals
that were captured as they approached the park's northern
boundary with Montana.
Even though the bison population currently exceeds 3,000,
the park had agreed to continue brucellosis testing of
animals captured at Stephens Creek, and to send only those
that tested positive to slaughter.
Animals that tested negative were being held until spring,
when they are to be released back into the park.
However, the number of animals being held at the facility
hit nearly 200 Wednesday, prompting the park's decision
to slaughter any additional captures.
The capture and testing of bison from Yellowstone occurs
under a joint state and federal management plan. Montana
ranchers fear the bison will spread brucellosis to their
cattle. The disease can cause cows to abort.
So far this year, about 460 bison have been captured at
the Stephens Creek site, the park said, and 215 of those
were sent to slaughter. That does not include the roughly
40 animals the park said were being sent to slaughter
this week.
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