Copyright © 2000 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

West Yellowstone, MT - Shortly after noon today, January 25, 2000, the Montana Department of Livestock (DOL) attempted to haze a bull buffalo from the south side of the Madison River. Three DOL agents on snowmobiles, accompanied by an officer from the Gallatin County Sheriff's department, participated in the operation.

During this operation in Gallatin National Forest, Buffalo Field Campaign volunteer Andrea Rightsell was assaulted by a DOL agent as she approached to ask a question. Rightsell was standing in front of the agent when he ran into her with his snowmobile, knocking her to the ground. She intends to press charges.

The object of the DOL's hazing operation was a lone bull who has been out of the park less than a week, on National Forest land designated as wildlife habitat. It is unclear whether the DOL intended to capture the buffalo or haze him back to the park. Hazing buffalo causes them unnecessary stress and taxes the crucial energy reserves they need to survive the winter. The bull was forced to run through snow deep enough that the DOL's snowmobiles became stuck repeatedly.

Montana has recently come under fire from federal agencies for its mismanagement of the Yellowstone herd. Although there has never been a documented case of brucellosis transmission from wild buffalo to livestock, the state maintains a zero-tolerance policy for buffalo migrating from the park. The state insists such measures are necessary to preserve the brucellosis-free status of Montana's cattle.

The state's position is neither supported by science nor endorsed by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the federal body responsible for maintaining the state's brucellosis-free status. "We don't feel there's a need to kill every bison that comes out of the park," said APHIS spokesperson Patrick Collins.

Because bulls cannot transmit the disease, APHIS considers them "low risk" and says their presence in the state will not jeopardize Montana's brucellosis-free status. Of the ninety buffalo shipped to slaughter last winter, forty-two were bulls. These animals were killed in the name of protecting cattle, who do not even return to the area until June 15.

"The DOL is totally unqualified to be managing the buffalo, as today's events clearly show. We can't afford to entrust our last free herd of buffalo to an agency that doesn't seem to know or care how to protect them," said Emily Kodama, a volunteer with the Buffalo Field Campaign.