BILLINGS, Mont. (AP)--Wildlife officials plan to capture 100 bison calves that leave Yellowstone National Park in the coming months and use them to test an experimental quarantine facility just outside the park.

The pilot project will look at whether a quarantine facility could be helpful in finding bison free of the disease to help start herds in Montana and other states.

"Our view is that if we are going to restore bison to the landscape in some broader way, we're going to have to take some real active steps," said Pat Flowers, a regional supervisor for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

But bison defenders, such as Mike Mease of the Buffalo Field Campaign, say the facility will serve to treat the bison like cattle.

"We just want to see them treated like other wildlife," Mease said.

Currently, bison that stray from Yellowstone can be chased back into the park or captured and tested for brucellosis, which ranchers worry the bison could transmit to cattle. Brucellosis can cause cows to abort, and bison testing positive are sent to slaughter.

The quarantine plan represents "a big step because it presents potentially another tool for managing bison," Flowers said.

The facility will be located at Corwin Springs, near the park, and run by the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the state wildlife agency.

The plan allows for the capture of 100 bison calves each year for two years. To be taken, the bison would have to stray from the park and test negative for exposure to brucellosis.

Once quarantined, the animals would be tested and watched for signs of latent brucellosis infection. Half the bison would be euthanized while held so tests could be done on their tissues.

"We're testing to see if we can run a quarantine, where at the end we have a high confidence that we've produced brucellosis-free animals," Flowers said. "It may or may not work."

It could be four years before results are known. But if successful, the facility could be expanded for more bison. Further environmental studies would be needed for the pilot project to continue.

Date: 1/26/05

	Web hpj.com

Copyright/Privacy
Copyright 1995-2008.  High Plains Publishers, Inc.  All rights reserved.  Any republishing of these pages, including electronic reproduction of the editorial archives or classified advertising, is strictly prohibited. If you have questions or comments you can reach us at High Plains Journal 1500 E. Wyatt Earp Blvd., P.O. Box 760, Dodge City, KS 67801 or call 1-800-452-7171. Email: webmaster@hpj.com