| Yellowstone Bison Slaughter
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| News
Article 1/28/05 |
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Schweitzer's
bison plan would set off a dark chain reaction
Letter to the Editor
Bozeman Daily Chronicle
1/28/05
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If Schweitzer thought that Montana would get a black eye
for the buffalo "hunt", he should think very
hard before pushing his ludicrous proposal to remove and
quarantine all the buffalo from Yellowstone National Park.
He will be fought tooth and nail.
Less than 15 percent of the buffalo in Yellowstone actually
have brucellosis. There are no cattle in the area at the
same time as buffalo, and there has never been a documented
case of a wild buffalo transmitting brucellosis to domestic
livestock.
What about elk and coyotes and all the other wildlife
that cattle have infected with brucellosis? Is Schweitzer
going to push them out of the park, too? Cage them or
kill them all? You cannot eradicate brucellosis. But,
you can manage cattle.
By suggesting that buffalo be removed from the park and
quarantined, Schweitzer loses the entire point of wildness.
Removing wild buffalo and introducing domesticated buffalo
into Yellowstone is unacceptable.
There would be severe impacts on the entire ecosystem.
Buffalo are a major food-source for wolves and grizzlies.
What would happen to the grasses, and all the creatures
that live in and depend up on the grasses, and so on?
A dark chain reaction would take place, and we will not
stand for this.
The solution is to manage cattle, to manage for risk.
And while you're at it, come up with a vaccine that works
for cattle and use it on them!
Stephany J. Seay
West Yellowstone
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