In tiny West Yellowstone, Mont., more than 350 bison
have been gunned down after wandering out of Yellowstone National
Park. The Montana Department of Livestock kills the bison because
of fears they will transmit brucellosis, a disease that causes
cattle to abort. But for residents such as Donna Lane, who watched
state officials shoot 18 bison outside her home, the killing isn’t
rational.
John Mack, a National Park Service
wildlife biologist in Yellowstone, agrees, saying there are no
documented cases of bison passing brucellosis on to livestock under
natural conditions. Montana officials, however, stand behind their
management plan, the result of a lawsuit they brought against two
federal agencies. When the Agriculture Department threatened to
revoke Montana’s brucellosis-free status and the Park Service did
not prevent bison from leaving the park, the state sued both
agencies, forcing them to jointly agree to a
plan.
Even more bison will be shot if Sen. Conrad
Burns, R-Mont., gets his way. A bill he introduced last year would
allow the slaughter of all infected bison, even those within the
park.
*Michelle McClellan
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Locals sickened by bison slaughter.
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