For second week, bison leaving Yellowstone killed w/o brucellosis testing
For second week, bison leaving Yellowstone killed without brucellosis testing
WEST YELLOWSTONE, Mont. (AP) - Seventy-two bison that left Yellowstone National Park on Monday have been sent to slaughter without being tested for brucellosis, federal and state officials said.
"This is the second week that bison have been removed from the herd without being tested for the disease of brucellosis," Montana state veterinarian Dr. Arnold Gertonson said.
Thirty-two bison were sent to slaughter early last week without testing.
The Interagency Bison Management Plan allows the killing of bison that wander outside the park if the overall size of the Yellowstone herd is over 3,000. In late February, the National Park Service documented 3,300 bison. That does not include the spring calf count.
The management plan was developed to reduce the risk of transmission of brucellosis from bison to cattle. The disease causes cows to abort their calves.
An additional seven bison captured at the Horse Butte facility were released after testing negative for brucellosis.
Another 34 bison that left the park were hazed to a separate timbered area outside the park rather than being killed, the state Department of Livestock said.
One protester was arrested by U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officers.
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I will be posting articles on the Yellowstone region on the discussion forum, especially AP stories reported in the Casper Star-Tribune. This paper has a lot of useful stories, especially from the Grand Teton region, but they roll their stories off every few days. I want them up much longer. This discussion forum only rolls off as it gets too large.
