I feel that the most important issue to be addressed is the current slaughter of Bison when they leave the boundaries of Yellowstone National Park. I spent six years up in the Yellowstone area enjoying the vastness and beauty of this preserved area. It was truly amazing to get the chance to be so close to Bison, Moose, Elk, Wolves and the occasional bear. During the first three years of my stay, if the Bison wandered outside the park boundaries they were herded up and taken back into the park. That changed. Montana ranchers did not feel the same appreciation towards the Bison. They claimed, although it has never been documented, that the Bison were spreading brucellosis to their cattle. From that moment on, if Bison wandered outside the park boundaries, they were shot. At that time I was working for a news station as their Chief Editor. I still remember seeing all of the raw footage of this brutal slaughter. They shot approximately two dozen. The producer asked me to edit a short 60-second loop for the story, but asked me to not show the 'gory' footage. I didn't listen to her. I showed the footage exactly as it was given to me. I thought the truth needed to be seen. It was one of the saddest stories I ever showed. I still remember driving around West Yellowstone and seeing the carcasses, all ages, lying motionless on the trailers being shipped away. How were they supposed to know when they are leaving the park's boundaries? There are no fences, nothing to protect them.
It is very hopeful to hear the plans of 'Buffalo Commons' to reintroduce the Bison to the Northern and Southern Plains. This will lead to restoration of the entire ecosystem and re-establish the balance that existed before they were nearly shot to extinction. Another group, the Inter-Tribal Bison Cooperative hopes to restore the bison population on their tribal land. To hear that in the past 'U.S. government officials actively destroyed bison to defeat their Native American enemies' is a very difficult part of history to swallow. This would help to restore hope and tradition for these people that have had so much taken from them. If it were left up to me I would say, first and foremost, that the killing of Bison should be illegal. Secondly, I would propose that these lands be opened up and made available (once again) as a free roaming area to help restore what has been lost, both environmentally as well as spiritually.
4 comments:
Thanks for writing on behalf of the buffalo; thanks for what you did in presenting the truth of this sad, horrible situation.
Jim
Buffalo Allies of Bozeman
Anyone interested in the Buffalo Commons work that I and my wife Deborah Popper have been doing should look at my Rutgers website, rutgers.policy.edu/faculty/popper or get in touch with me at fpopper@rci.rutgers.edu or fpopper@princeton.edu. Best wishes,
Frank Popper
Rutgers and Princeton Universities
do you think fences should be put up to avoid more killing?
michelle,
Even if it weren't objectionable to keep wild animals in a fence, the problem is that if you keep wild animals in a fence that there is an adverse effect on other species in the ecosystem. Animals overgraze, then other animals are hurt by the change in vegetation, etc. It's kind of an ugly picture, one that some have written about already in terms of high elk populations (pre wolf reintroduction).
So, really, the answer for me is fewer fences - not more. Even if we still might love the animals stuck in a zoo, we really have no reason to keep them in. And, a greater diversity can thrive if some of the animals aren't artificially penned in.
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