Natural Weekends – The Bison Of Yellowstone

Bison have roamed the areas encompassed by Yellowstone National Park since prehistoric times. Today, they are considered an incredible conservation story as the herd in Yellowstone has been revived from just a couple of dozen to now over five thousand. But I was unaware that the National Park Service (NPS) engages in periodic mass slaughters of the herd. This is all done primarily to protect the cattle ranchers of Montana who are concerned about the disease brucellosis that bison are known to carry. Brucellosis can cause decreased milk production, weight loss, loss of young, infertility and lameness in livestock and the disease can easily spread to humans who eat the infected meat. This spring, the NPS killed around 1,300 bison as they migrated from the park. In addition, hunting bison that stray off the park in search of food in the winter is also allowed. Since 1985, over 5,000 Yellowstone bison have been killed or captured after leaving the park’s boundaries.