Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — Wildlife managers estimate that more than 570 Yellowstone National Park bison have been killed so far this winter.
The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports that the numbers show that bison managers are making progress on their goal to eliminate 1,300 bison from the Yellowstone herd. A 2000 management plan calls for a population of 3,000 bison in the region, but about 5,500 live there now.
A Yellowstone report says 179 bison have been transferred to Native American tribes for slaughter and 359 have been killed by hunters as of last Friday.
A Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks report on the bison hunt compiled last week shows a lower number of confirmed bison kills but says officials believe the total number of bison hunted and killed is already above 400.
The reduction in herds is in response to concerns by the livestock industry over a disease that can be carried by the animals, brucellosis. Since the 1980s, worry over brucellosis has prompted the killing of about 8,200 park bison, most of them sent to slaughter. In recent years, officials have tried to emphasize public hunts that occur just outside the park's boundaries.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
