The Yellowstone Bison Population Is In Serious Danger


Nearly 1,000 bison at Yellowstone National Park are scheduled to be slaughtered, shot, or relocated amid overgrazing concerns due to a recent population boom.

Park officials and tribal entities negotiated a deal Wednesday to control the park’s bison population by allowing them to be hunted, slaughtered, or quarantined through the winter months.

Typically, Yellowstone’s bison population migrates north into Montana for the winter. The overpopulated animals could potentially spread brucellosis, a bacterial that can potentially cause spontaneous abortion, or stillbirth. As of early December, there have not been any recently reported cases of bison transmitting the disease in the wild.

There are roughly 5,450 bison living in Yellowstone National Park. Officials say reducing the population by 600 to 900 would prevent mass starvation of other animals in the region.

“Doing nothing is not a realistic option,” according to the National Park Service. “Allowing the bison population to grow indefinitely will cause overgrazing and possibly mass starvation of animals in Yellowstone, as well as larger migrations and greater conflict outside the park.”

The National Park Service’s website also addresses concerns of brucellosis among the creatures, mentioning that up to “60 percent of Yellowstone bison test positive for exposure to brucellosis.”

The decision to shoot or slaughter an animal that faced threats of extinction just over 100 years ago is being met with harsh criticism from those who believe relocating the animals is a feasible option.

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