Yellowstone bison start to head to slaughter
GARDINER, Mont. – Yellowstone National Park has started shipping its famous wild bison to slaughter in response to concerns by the livestock industry over a disease carried by the animals.
Officials say 30 animals were shipped to slaughterhouses Wednesday and an additional 120 will go in the next few days. The park’s actions are dictated by a 2000 agreement with Montana that requires Yellowstone to control its bison herds.
Park spokeswoman Jody Lyle said, “Nobody here wants to be doing this.”
Meat from the slaughter will be distributed to American Indian tribes that traditionally subsisted on bison.
About 150 of the animals have been captured this winter trying to migrate into Montana. Nearby ranchers worry about brucellosis, a disease some bison carry that causes cattle to abort their young.