Why the Yellowstone bison calf had to be killed
'It’s sad. Nobody wants to see this happen,' park employee says
Animal and nature lovers learned a hard lesson this week after a bison calf had to be euthanized at Yellowstone National Park.
The bison’s death came after some well-intentioned but misguided visitors found it about two miles east of the historic Lamar Buffalo Ranch in Wyoming. They put it in their SUV and took it to rangers, fearing it was too cold for it.
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They were cited for their actions because handling wildlife is strictly against regulations, Yellowstone exhibit specialist Jo Suderman.
That didn’t help the calf, though. Park rangers repeatedly tried to reunite it with its herd, but it was rejected, and it had become a hazard as it continued to approach people and cars.
The initial story and now the unfortunate conclusion have stirred considerable interest.
“We’ve had a lot of people who were curious and concerned,” Suderman said. “It’s sad. Nobody wants to see this happen.”
So why did it have to be killed? Two reasons.
- The calf couldn’t be shipped out of the park for months because of a quarantine required to prevent the possible spread of brucellosis.
- The park doesn’t have the resources to care for a calf that long.
Park staff hope that the attention this story has gotten will prevent future interactions that are harmful to people or wildlife.
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“We ask that people stay back for their own safety and well-being and for the wildlife they come to see and love,” Suderman said.
Ultimately, it’s a matter of good judgment, Suderman said, but there are guidelines. Stay 100 yards away from bears and wolves and 25 yards from all other animals, including bison, elk and deer.
This is just the latest case of people getting too close to wild animals. A woman was airlifted from Custer State Park in South Dakota last week after an encounter with a buffalo she approached.
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Here is the full statement from Yellowstone National Park:
"In recent weeks, visitors in the park have been engaging in inappropriate, dangerous, and illegal behavior with wildlife. These actions endanger people and have now resulted in the death of a newborn bison calf.
"Last week in Yellowstone National Park, visitors were cited for placing a newborn bison calf in their vehicle and transporting it to a park facility because of their misplaced concern for the animal's welfare. In terms of human safety, this was a dangerous activity because adult animals are very protective of their young and will act aggressively to defend them. In addition, interference by people can cause mothers to reject their offspring. In this case, park rangers tried repeatedly to reunite the newborn bison calf with the herd. These efforts failed. The bison calf was later euthanized because it was abandoned and causing a dangerous situation by continually approaching people and cars along the roadway.
"In a recent viral video, a visitor approached within an arm's length of an adult bison in the Old Faithful area. Another video featured visitors posing for pictures with bison at extremely unsafe and illegal distances. Last year, five visitors were seriously injured when they approached bison too closely. Bison injure more visitors to Yellowstone than any other animal.
"Approaching wild animals can drastically affect their well-being and, in this case, their survival. Park regulations require that you stay at least 25 yards (23 m) away from all wildlife (including bison, elk and deer) and at least 100 yards (91 m) away from bears and wolves. Disregarding these regulations can result in fines, injury, and even death. The safety of these animals, as well as human safety, depends on everyone using good judgment and following these simple rules.
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