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State and federal agency representatives captured twenty bison at the Horse Butte facility outside West Yellowstone on Wednesday. Two bulls, 11 cows and seven yearlings were transported to the Duck Creek facility to be tested for the disease of brucellosis. Federal and state veterinarians conduced the tests. Test results will be available on Thursday.

Five state and federal agencies implement the Interagency Bison Management Plan, which was developed to reduce the risk of transmission of brucellosis from bison to cattle, and maintain a viable, free-ranging population of Yellowstone National Park bison.

Although approximately 3,000 bison have successfully been moved back into the Park after they entered the State of Montana in the last five years, less than 150 have been captured, tested positive for the disease of brucellosis and removed from the herd.

According to the Plan, the target population for the YNP bison herd is 3,000. Currently, there are approximately 3,400 bison in the herd, which does not include the spring calf count. When the population is over 3,000, the Plan does not require bison to be moved back into the Park, or to test positive before being removed from the herd. However, the agencies are currently continuing to test the bison and release those that test negative back on public land.

Agencies implementing the Plan include the Montana Department of Livestock, Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and U.S.D.A. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office and the Montana Highway Patrol provided law enforcement and traffic control during Wednesday’s operation. Federal law enforcement personnel arrested one protester.