Yellowstone National Park officials are asking for the public’s help and requesting they keep their distance from wild animals after they were forced to euthanize a newborn bison calf.
According to a statement from park officials, an unidentified man picked up the calf after it was seen struggling to climb up a riverbank to a roadway. Later visitors spotted the baby approaching people and vehicles.
Several attempts were made to reunite the calf with its herd, but after they all failed “the calf was later killed by park staff because it was abandoned by the herd and causing a hazardous situation by approaching cars and people along the roadway.”
The incident occurred in the northeast corner of the park during the evening of May 20.
Officials say a man approached a baby bison near the confluence of the Lamar River and Soda Butte Creek. The calf, which had been separated from its mother while crossing the river, was struggling to climb the riverbank so the man picked it up and put it on the road.
“The unfortunate incident where the man intentionally disturbed the calf resulted in the death of the calf.”
“Interference by people can cause wildlife to reject their offspring. In this case, park rangers tried repeatedly to reunite the calf with the herd. These efforts failed. The calf was later killed by park staff because it was abandoned by the herd and causing a hazardous situation by approaching cars and people along the roadway.”
Not only is it advised, but park rules regulate that visitors maintain at least 25 yards away from all wildlife and at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves.
Ignoring the rules could result in fines, injury, or death.
In 2016 a Canadian man was fined for helping a calf with its umbilical cord still attached.
He placed the wild animal in his truck thinking he was rescuing it.
“We didn’t have the heart to kind of just leave it there and let it suffer, you know, as the darkness descended,” Shamash Kassam said at the time.
But when officials took the calf back to where Kassam said it approached him, they were unable to reunite the baby with its herd and the animal was killed.
Seeing a baby animal that appears to be abandoned may pull on our heartstrings, but we have to follow the rules and let nature be.
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