BILLINGS, Mont. — The number of Yellowstone National Park bison killed through disease management and hunting is on track to hit an all-time high this winter, after another 87 animals were captured Friday.
The planned slaughter of those animals would bring to 1,090 the number of bison killed by government agencies and hunters this winter. The previous high was 1,084, in 1997.
Wandering bison worry ranchers because many of the park’s bison have brucellosis. If the disease spreads to cattle, it can cause cows to abort their calves.
The mounting death toll in Yellowstone this winter underscores the difficulty government agencies have had in finding a lasting solution to the disease. A state-federal agreement signed in 2000 was intended to give bison more room to roam outside the park over time, but that has largely not happened.
Government officials blame funding constraints, difficulties developing a brucellosis vaccine and opposition from the livestock industry.
But critics fault the agencies involved in the 2000 agreement for continuing to slaughter bison even in areas where cattle no longer graze.
The Associated Press
