Yellowstone Park Service That Put Down Baby Bison: We Are Not ‘Lazy, Uncaring, or Inexpert’

There has been a lot of misunderstanding and confusion as to why Yellowstone would euthanize a bison calf instead of caring for it or sending it to a sanctuary. We'd like to offer a more thorough explanation of the options that were available to us, and why we made the choice we did.

Bison calf in Yellowstone National Park that two tourists placed in their car trunk out of concern for its livelihood. Photo was taken by Karen Richardson, who had no relation to the people who placed the animal in their car

A bison calf was taken from its habitat by two tourists out of concern for its life on May 9. 

The tourists thought the calf was freezing and would die, so they put it in their SUV and drove it to park rangers. 

The rangers took the bison and fined the tourists.

Despite repeated attempts to reintroduce the calf to the herd, the herd rejected it and the calf was euthanized “because it was abandoned and causing a dangerous situation by continually approaching people and cars along the roadway,” the National Park Service (NPS) said on May 16. 

“Interference by people can cause mothers to reject their offspring.”

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• Bison Calf Dead After Tourists Put It in Car at Yellowstone Park