| Washington,
D.C. - The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and
the Buffalo Field Campaign (BFC) have today asked the
agencies implementing the Interagency Bison Management
Plan (IBMP) to modify cattle stocking dates in the West
Yellowstone area to show more tolerance for the bison
who remain outside Yellowstone National Park.
In their six-page letter, AWI and BFC also criticize
the agencies for their cruel bison hazing strategies,
request the implementation of new strategies that are
less aggressive, and identify specific actions that
each agency must take to improve their role in bison
management activities.
With bison remaining outside the park, AWI and BFC are
concerned that the agencies will begin capture and slaughter
operations. This is unnecessary, since the agencies
should exercise their discretion under the IBMP to allow
bison to remain outside of Yellowstone beyond May 15,
at least temporarily.
The risk of brucellosis transmission from bison to cattle
has never been documented, and the bacterium can only
survive a few days, at most, in warmer weather. Deferring
to stocking cattle on private land until July 1 - when
cattle are allowed to return to public grazing allotments
- would eliminate any risk of transmission. This would
protect the less than 700 cattle grazed in West Yellowstone
while allowing greater tolerance of bison outside of
Yellowstone.
"It is high time for this so-called adaptive management
plan to adapt to manage bison consistent with the scientific
evidence," said D.J. Schubert, a wildlife biologist
at AWI. "Politics, not science, and grass, not
brucellosis, are what is currently driving the ill-conceived
and scientifically corrupt plan."
Though neither AWI nor BFC generally support hazing,
these aggressive tactics are particularly unnecessary
and cruel. The agencies' industrial-strength hazing
strategies have caused enormous cruelty and suffering
for many bison, including mothers with newborns who
have been being chased for miles from public land and
back into Yellowstone. During these operations, BFC
volunteers documented bison who were clearly exhausted,
the temporary orphaning of newborn bison, and several
near-misses between automobiles and bison being hazed
across highways and back into the park.
"If the agencies intend to haze bison, they must
do so gently and in a manner that minimizes stress and
cruelty," says the BFC's Dan Brister. "Unfortunately,
as long as the Department of Livestock is the lead agency
on bison management, we fear that the cruel treatment
of these animals will continue."
One of the nation's oldest animal protection organizations,
AWI is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and is dedicated
to reducing the sum total of pain and fear inflicted
on animals.
BFC is based in West Yellowstone, Mont. and is the only
organization that works 365 days a year to advocate
for increased protection for Yellowstone's bison.
A copy of the letter to the agencies is available by
contacting D.J. Schubert or Stephany Seay using the
telephone numbers listed above or via e-mail at dj@awionline.org
or bfc-media@wildrockies.org.
Download
the Letter to the Agencies (Word
Document, 180kb, 7 pages)
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