One of the largest cullings in a decade is planned for the bison herd at Yellowstone National Park, says Reuters. Plans call for animals that stray outside the park boundaries to be targets for hunters and for the animals to be herded to tribal land for slaughter.
There are some 5,500 bison in the park, far more than the target of 3,000. Ranchers have complained for years that buffalo that wander out of the park are a risk of transmitting brucellosis to cattle. The group Buffalo Field Campaign says there are no proven cases of infection and the ranchers want more forage for their livestock. Brucellosis is a contagious livestock disease that causes weight loss, infertility, lameness and abortion. The disease can be spread to humans. Montana state veterinarian Marty Zaluski said the goal of culling 900 bison was agreed at a meeting last week. Reuters said bison, a fraction of the millions that once roamed the Great Plains, “are a leading attraction” for tourists at Yellowstone.