Montana halts plan to kill 300 wandering bison - Reuters

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Montana halts plan to kill 300 wandering bison
Fri Jun 1, 2007 7:49PM EDT

HELENA, Montana (Reuters) - Federal officials and the state of
Montana said on Friday they had agreed to scrap a plan to kill
300 bison, including an estimated 100 calves, roaming outside
the confines of Yellowstone National Park.

The Montana Board of Livestock said on Tuesday it would
capture and kill the bison after news that seven Montana cows
had tested positive for brucellosis, a disease that can cause
stillbirths in cows and infects some of the Yellowstone bison
herd.

An outcry ensued and officials instead have proposed putting
stray bison on a truck and transporting them back to
Yellowstone, one of the country's most famous national parks.

-snip-

There is no documented case of brucellosis transmission from
bison to cows in the wild but Montana's influential cattle
industry is calling for a forced thinning of Yellowstone bison.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN0137001820070601

[and-justice-for-all]

1. Wonderful news!! nt

[Benhurst]

2. ...

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[razzleberry]

3. move the buffalo to other parks ? .n/t

[kestrel91316]

5. Inappropriate if they carry brucellosis.

[pipoman]

4. I love bison

and have spent a fair amount of time with them. I hope there isn't serious opposition to culling the herd. Over population could endanger the entire herd. Realizing the enormity of Yellowstone 3900 animals seems like a huge population.

Here is one of my photos from a few weeks ago. This calf was born the day I took this shot, note the umbilical cord.



and this is a bull known as Samson

[fightthegoodfightnow]

8. Loopey

Is 'culling' a PC word for KILLING.

:sarcasm:

But heh, keep thinking 3900 isn't so bad.

Just after curiousity, which one was ........ culled?

[Dogmudgeon]

6. Why not treat them, instead?

I thought brucellosis was easily treated with antibiotics.

With as much antibiotics as we feed animals, this is a case where they could actually be helpful.

--p!

[pipoman]

7. While I don't know the answer for sure

I would suspect treating 3,900 wild animals spread over 3,500 square miles would be cost prohibitive. Most of the maintained wild herds I am aware of are completely left alone to fend for themselves. They absolutely have higher mortality than domestic herds, and that is to be expected. Managing the populations will go far toward limiting the spread of these types of contagious illness. Bison are herd animals, I am quite sure there are numerous herds which occupy various ranges throughout the park. If the population grows to a point that the herds are not separated, when disease inevitably strikes it will spread throughout the entire population instead of effecting only one herd. Culling the herds can be done a couple of ways, 1. sell off groups of animals periodically to other bison ranchers and meat producers or 2. allow limited hunting or a combination, the result will be healthier herds and increase revenue for the park.

[fightthegoodfightnow]

9. Infected Meat

You write: 'I would suspect treating 3,900 wild animals spread over 3,500 square miles would be cost prohibitive......................Culling the herds can be done a couple of ways, 1. sell off groups of animals periodically to other bison ranchers and meat producers or 2. allow limited hunting or a combination, the result will be healthier herds and increase revenue for the park."

Yea..........because everyone likes to eat infected meat. Paleeze........