And now:Sonja Keohane <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
IMO, nothing will deter the MDOL slaughtermen from their efforts,
except public scrutiny and outrage. Thank God for the Buffalo Nations
folks.
<http://www.billingsgazette.com/regionframe.htm>
MIGRATION SEASON
Buffalo hazing begins in park
By JOE KOLMAN
Gazette Bozeman Bureau
BOZEMAN - Snow is flying, bison are roaming and the accusations are
starting to pile up. It is winter in Montana.
State Department of Livestock officials say recent hazings of Yellowstone
National Park bison back into the park are successful efforts to protect
the animals. Under an interim management plan, hazing is the first option,
then the animals may be captured and sent to slaughter or shot.
But critics of the agency say the hazings have been unwarranted and could
eventually kill the buffalo.
Thirty-six bison were hazed back into the park Friday from the Duck Creek
area near West Yellowstone, the agency's fifth and largest such operation
in the last two weeks.
"The Department of Livestock continues to claim they are saving the buffalo
by hazing them back into the park," said Mike Bowersox of the group Buffalo
Nations. "But these same buffalo will continue to come out of the park to
their traditional winter forage grounds regardless of where the DOL tries
to make them go. However, as the snow accumulates, continual hazing
stresses the buffalo unnecessarily and increases the potential for winter
kill."
Members of the group, who observed some of the hazing, said many of the
bison were bulls - which are deemed at a low risk for transmitting
brucellosis. But Arnold Gertonson, the state veterinarian, said there were
bulls and cows and it was impossible to determine the risk level of the
cows.
Buffalo Nations members and other conservationists said bison should be
allowed to stay outside the park.
The arguments are familiar to those who have been following the bison
controversy over the last several years.
Many of the park's bison have been exposed to the disease brucellosis,
which causes abortions in cattle. While there has never been a documented
case of transmission of the disease between wild bison and cattle, state
officials and others have said any risk is too great. Eradicating the
disease from state cattle herds cost millions of dollars and losing the
brucellosis-free status would be crippling to Montana's largest industry,
said Marc Bridges, the livestock department's acting director.
Only 11 bison were killed for disease control last winter, but the prior
winter saw 1,100 bison - about one-third of the park's population - shot or
sent to slaughter. Many more starved and critics of the park service said a
lack of management had resulted in too many bison and not enough food.
Bridges said in a Thursday news release that recent bison migrations out of
the park are due to a lack of forage to support the current herd, which
stands at about 2,200.
But Yellowstone spokeswoman Marsha Karle said bison are naturally roaming
animals.
"There's plenty for them to eat, they are just ready to move," Karle said.
-----end of article-----
