Please join me in condemning the National Park Service's decision to euthanize a bison calf that was rejected by its herd and was looking to humans for the care and affection it craved.
Some visitors to Yellowstone National Park put a newborn bison calf in their vehicle and transported it to a park facility because they were worried about its welfare. This caused the herd to reject the calf. The Park Service says that rangers "tried repeatedly" to reunite the newborn bison calf with the herd, but the New York Times reports the calf was euthanized just one week later, because it was approaching people and cars.
Of course it was. The calf was simply looking for the care and companionship it desperately needed - yet instead of making an effort to find a farm, ranch, or animal sanctuary who would have taken the calf in, the Park Service killed it.
Please join me in condemning this inhumane and irresponsible decision, and help me call upon the Park Service to re-home and rehabilitate animals in need of help instead of killing them.
Thank you for caring.
Update #27 years ago
PLEASE HELP - 11 weeks ago I proposed a re-homing plan for abandoned calves to Daniel Wenk, Yellowstone superintendent. Today I received a reply that didn't address my proposal & said the park will continue to let calves die because that's natural selection & it's too expensive to save them. Tomorrow I escalate to NPS' national HQ, but you can help by emailing yell_superintendent@nps.gov or calling Mr. Wenk,307-344-2002, to urge that humane alternatives be adopted. Thanks SO much!
Update #17 years ago
My warmest thanks to you for your support! I thought this calf could've gone to a caring home, but learned it's illegal to relocate a Yellowstone bison without 15-45 days' quarantine. And the Nat'l Park Service says it isn't uncommon for bison to lose or abandon calves, which NPS allows to die of starvation or predation because "it isn't our mission to rescue animals". These calves deserve to be saved, though, so I'm working to change the law and the Park Service's mission. More updates soon!
