Yellowstone is forced to KILL a baby bison after a park guest saves it from drowning in the river – but was later rejected by the herd due to human contact
- Yellowstone National Park staff shot a bison after a man made contact
- The man saw that the bison was separated from its herd and moved it from a bank
- Staff are trying to identify the man who was photographed handling the animal
Yellowstone National Park Rangers say they were forced to euthanize a bison after it was handled by a man who thought it was saving it from drowning.
Park staff said they tried to reintroduce the animal to their herd, but due to human contact, the bison was rejected and abandoned, forcing them to kill it.
Now park officials are trying to identify the man, who was pictured moving the calf from the river bank and road, as part of an ‘investigation’.
The incident happened on May 20 while the calf’s herd was crossing the Lamar River in Wyoming, in the northeast part of the park.
After the calf was separated from its mother, the man got down into the water and helped it back up from the shore, where it started walking towards people and cars.
A man was photographed moving a bison from the bank of the Lamar River on May 20. He was later shot after his herd rejected him. Yellowstone National Park staff are now trying to identify the man
The calf’s herd was crossing the Lamar River (pictured) in Wyoming, in the northeast part of Yellowstone National Park
It is not known how long after this interaction the animal had to be put down.
“An unidentified white male in his 40s or 50s, wearing a blue shirt and black pants, approached a newborn bison,” park staff wrote in the statement Tuesday.
“The calf had been separated from its mother when the herd crossed the Lamar River,” he said.
“As the calf struggled, the man pushed the calf out of the river and onto the causeway. Visitors then watched the calf approach and follow cars and people.
In 2015, Yellowstone National Park officials released a graphic brochure depicting a man being gored by a bison in an effort to avoid the creatures.
Rangers have warned against contact with wild animals in the park. This is not the first time that park visitors have come into contact with bison in the same direction.
In 2016, a father and son delivered a calf bison to the Lamar Buffalo Ranch, which is just two miles northwest of where this weekend’s incident happened near the encounter from the Lamar River and Soda Butte Creek.
At the time Karen Richardson of Victor, Idaho was at the ranch when father and son showed up with the bison in the back of their SUV.
“They were asking to speak to a ranger,” she said. says EastIdahoNews.com in 2016. “They were seriously concerned that the calf would freeze and die.”
Rob Heusevelet, who was also present, told the men to get the bison out of the car and told them they might be in trouble for the animal.
“They didn’t care,” Heusevelet says. “They genuinely thought they were doing a favor and helping this calf by trying to save it from the cold.”
Park staff warned after Saturday’s incident that failure to follow park regulations requiring guests to stay at least 25 yards from bison, elk and deer and at least 100 yards from bears and wolves may result in fines.
Pictured is a herd of unrelated bison stopping traffic in the Hayden Valley in September 2022
In 2016, a father and son put a different bison (pictured) in their car in Yellowstone National Park. It was also filed later
On its website, the National Parks Service warns of the dangers of large wildlife. “Bison can run three times faster than humans can sprint and are unpredictable and dangerous,” it read.
“Visitors should give animals enough space and modify their own behavior to avoid interacting with an animal nearby. Do not approach wild animals, even if they appear tame or calm. Always obey the instructions of the park staff on site.
In 2015, Yellowstone National Park officials released a graphic brochure depicting a man being gored by a bison in an effort to avoid the creatures.
DailyMail.com wrote to Yellowstone asking how it would proceed once it identified the man, but did not immediately receive a response.
