Another 50 Bison Transferred To Tribes
Fifty more Yellowstone National Park bison were transferred to the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes on Friday, Feb. 5 in a coordinated effort with Park staff and representatives from the Tribes. The animals had been under quarantine by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, located just north of park boundaries. The quarantine and slaughter programs are used to reduce bison populations at Yellowstone. Different means of culling were established by partners involved in the Interagency Bison Management Plan.
“Once they are cleared for brucellosis, they will be transferred to other tribes who are with the Intertribal Buffalo Council,” said Fort Peck Tribes executive board member Jestin Dupree. Dupree attended the arrival of the animals on the reservation.
The latest transfer is the fifth since April, 2019, bringing the total number of bison moved from the park to the reservation to 154. The transfers are meant to divert bison from slaughter to Tribal restoration efforts.
“We are grateful to our tribal partners for their collaboration as we help return these bison to tribal lands on the prairie,” said Defenders of Wildlife representative Chamois Andersen. “As a keystone species, bison are critical to the health of the ecosystem as well as to other species that inhabit grasslands. Thanks to these efforts, more than 16 tribes have started cultural herds with animals from Yellowstone, descendants of the wild bison that once roamed the prairie in the millions.”
Sixty-four female bison and 25 males remain under quarantine in Yellowstone’s facilities at Stephens Creek.
