Bison calf killed after man handles it; Yellowstone seeking information

Star-Tribune staff

A visitor at Yellowstone National Park pulled a bison calf out of the Lamar River on Saturday, resulting in the decision by park rangers to euthanize the animal.

Park authorities are now seeking information from the public about the incident, which took place Saturday evening in the Lamar Valley.

In the aftermath, the park defended its decision to destroy the calf, which could not be reunited with its herd, rather than take it to an animal sanctuary, saying federal and state laws would have required the calf to be quarantined first. But a calf that is unable to care for itself is not a good candidate for quarantine.

“We made the choice not because we are lazy, uncaring or inexpert in our understanding of bison biology,” the park wrote in a follow-up statement. “We made the choice we did because national parks preserve the natural processes.”

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The newborn calf had become separated from its mother as its herd crossed the Lamar River near the confluence with Soda Butte Creek, the park said. As the calf struggled, the man pushed it up from the river and onto the

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