Yellowstone National Park officials killed a newborn bison because its herd wouldn’t take the animal back after a man picked it up.
The calf became separated from its mother when the herd crossed the Lamar River in northeastern Yellowstone on Saturday. The unidentified man pushed the struggling calf up from the river and onto a roadway, park officials said in a statement Tuesday.
Park rangers tried repeatedly to reunite the calf with the herd but were unsuccessful. Visitors saw the calf walking up to and following cars and people, creating a hazard, so park staff killed the animal, according to the statement.
It's the latest example of Yellowstone visitors getting in trouble or hurt after approaching bison. Park officials euthanized a newborn bison after a similar incident in 2016, when a Canadian man and his son put the calf in their SUV, thinking they could rescue it.
The man pleaded guilty. He was fined $235 and ordered to pay $500 to the Yellowstone Park Foundation Wildlife Protection Fund.
Bison have gored several people in Yellowstone in recent years, often after they got too close to the animals.
Many of Yellowstone’s larger animals — including bison, which can run up to 35 mph (55 kilometers per hour) and weigh up to 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms) — are deceptively dangerous, even when they’re just grazing or resting.
Park rules require visitors to keep at least 25 yards (23 meters) away from wildlife including bison, elk and deer, and at least 100 yards (91 meters) away from bears and wolves.
Park officials are investigating the bison calf incident. The suspect was a white male in his 40s or 50s who was wearing a blue shirt and black pants, the statement said.
As breast cancer awareness month approaches, singer Sherly Crow dives into her personal experience with surviving the disease. Cheddar was also joined by Dr. DaCarla Albright, who emphasized the importance of annual mammogram screenings.
The Department of the Interior has approved an oil and gas leasing program within Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Joe Biden is calling for a nationwide mask mandate, citing health experts’ predictions that it could save 40,000 lives over the next three months.
Young people across the world are uniting, calling on policymakers to adress the climate crisis. 15-year-old Alexandria Villasenor, founder of Earth Uprising, talks launching the movement and an upcoming partnership with GAP Kids on a virtual rally, encouraging the youth to make their voices heard about issues they want fixed.
CuriosityStream CEO, Clint Stinchcomb, talks about the company's plan to go public as it expands its global reach and also explains what sets his platform apart from others.
Russia has become the first country to approve a coronavirus vaccine for use among tens of thousands of its citizens.
Efforts have intensified in Mauritius to empty a stranded Japanese ship of an estimated 2,500 tons of oil before the vessel breaks up and contaminates the island’s Indian Ocean coastline.
With coronavirus affecting the senior population particularly hard, pharmaceutical company, Eli Lilly, is developing an COVID-19 antibody treatment meant to protect aging senior, particularly those in assisted living facilities.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Thursday increased its forecast for the number of named storms, hurricanes and major hurricanes this year to far above normal.
U.S. testing for the coronavirus is dropping even as infections remain high and the death toll rises by more than 1,000 a day.
