Yellowstone Baby Bison Put to Death After Visitor Picks It Up, Leading Herd to Reject It

An unidentified white male in his 40-50's, wearing a blue shirt and black pants, approaches a newborn bison calf in Lamar Valley, near the confluence of the Lamar River and Soda Butte Creek, at Yellowstone National Park, Wyo., on May 20, 2023. Courtesy of Courtesy National Park Service

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo.—A man who picked up a bison calf in Yellowstone National Park caused it to be shunned by its herd, prompting park officials to kill the animal rather than allow it to be a hazard to visitors.

Park officials quickly defended the decision to kill the newborn bison.