BILLINGS, Mont. — A deal disclosed Thursday will allow the mass killing of hundreds of wild bison migrating from Yellowstone National Park, while sparing 25 animals that Native American tribes are seeking to start new herds.
The deal between Montana, the park, and the US Department of Agriculture came after intensive negotiations and clears a political obstacle to the park’s plan to kill up to 1,300 of Yellowstone’s 5,500 bison this winter. The terms are likely to dampen public outcry by averting some bison that were earlier earmarked by the park for conservation efforts.
Wildlife advocates oppose the periodic killing of Yellowstone’s world-famous bison herds. But park officials say they have little choice under a 16-year-old program intended to prevent transmitting the disease brucellosis to cattle.