Yellowstone baby bison put to death after visitor ‘helps it,’ leading herd to reject it
May 24, 2023, 10:36 AM | Updated: 1:09 pm
An unidentified white male in his 40-50's, wearing a blue shirt and black pants, approached a newborn bison calf in Lamar Valley near the confluence of the Lamar River and Soda Butte Creek. (Courtesy: Hellen Jack)
(Courtesy: Hellen Jack)
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) — Yellowstone National Park officials killed a newborn bison because its herd wouldn’t take the animal back after a man picked it up.
The calf became separated from its mother when the herd crossed the Lamar River in northeastern Yellowstone on Saturday. The unidentified man pushed the struggling calf up from the river and onto a roadway, park officials said in a statement Tuesday.
Park rangers tried repeatedly to reunite the calf with the herd but were unsuccessful. Visitors saw the calf walking up to and following cars and people, creating a hazard, so park staff killed the animal, according to the statement.
The northern part of Yellowstone National Park is home to abundant wildlife. You may likely see bison, black bear, grizzly bear, big horn sheep, elk, mule deer, pronghorn, moose, and the elusive wolf.
— Visit Bozeman (@onlyinbozeman) March 14, 2023
It’s the latest example of Yellowstone visitors getting in trouble or hurt after approaching bison. Park officials euthanized a newborn bison after a similar incident in 2016, when a Canadian man and his son put the calf in their SUV, thinking they could rescue it.
The man pleaded guilty. He was fined $235 and ordered to pay $500 to the Yellowstone Park Foundation Wildlife Protection Fund.
Bison have gored several people in Yellowstone in recent years, often after they got too close to the animals.
Terrifying Attack: 9-year-old girl tossed violently by charging bison at Yellowstone National Park…#bisonattack pic.twitter.com/IF6W5A7h82
— Western Standard (@WSOnlineNews) May 16, 2023
Many of Yellowstone’s larger animals — including bison, which can run up to 35 mph (55 kilometers per hour) and weigh up to 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms) — are deceptively dangerous, even when they’re just grazing or resting.
Park rules require visitors to keep at least 25 yards (23 meters) away from wildlife including bison, elk and deer, and at least 100 yards (91 meters) away from bears and wolves.
Park officials are investigating the bison calf incident. The suspect was a white male in his 40s or 50s who was wearing a blue shirt and black pants, the statement said.
For those asking why we didn't send the calf to a wildlife sanctuary. pic.twitter.com/4sxZXGD598
— Yellowstone National Park (@YellowstoneNPS) May 23, 2023
Click to read more about when Yellowstone staff intervene in a natural process and why.
