| Yellowstone Bison Slaughter
|
| News
Article 2/10/04 |
 |
| |
|
|
| Yellowstone
bison to get brucellosis shots for first time
Associated Press
Billings Gazette
February 10, 2004
|
BOZEMAN
- Some calves and yearling bison that test negative for
exposure to brucellosis will be vaccinated against the
contagious disease for the first time this winter, a wildlife
biologist in Yellowstone National Park said Monday.
"It's a step in trying to get to a disease-free population
eventually," said Rick Wallen.
But no more than 125 buffalo will get the vaccine in the
pilot project, he said.
There is disagreement about the effectiveness of the vaccine,
known as RB 51.
It will be given to certain animals that enter the National
Park Service's bison trap northwest of Gardiner, if they
go there this winter.
Any animals that test positive for exposure to the disease
will be shipped to slaughter, Wallen said.
The nonpregnant yearlings and calves that are vaccinated
will then be held in a pasture until enough green grass
sprouts in the park interior to keep them there.
Last winter, all captured animals were shipped to slaughter
without being tested for the disease. There are about
4,200 bison in the park, which is at or near a record
number.
A joint state and federal bison management plan completed
in 2000 called for vaccinating bison as soon as the vaccine
could be proven to be safe, Wallen said, and the federal
government believes the vaccine is safe. However, it may
take years to find out how well it works.
A small ear tag will be attached to the animals that are
vaccinated. If they are captured again in future years,
they will be tested again for the disease to get some
indication of the vaccine's effectiveness, he said.
The Montana Department of Livestock, which operates two
bison traps on the west side of the park, won't begin
vaccinating animals before state and federal environmental
analyses are complete, state veterinarian Tom Linfield
said Monday.
Once those documents are complete, he said, DOL will consider
starting a similar program, depending on the results of
the studies.
He said vaccinating a relatively small number of young
animals won't eliminate the disease, but could reduce
its frequency.
"It's obviously not the silver bullet, but it is
one of the tools in the toolbox," he said.
RB 51 hasn't yet been proven effective in bison, and capturing
and vaccinating the young bison subjects them to needless
handling with no proof the disease situation will improve,
said Michael Scott, executive director of the Greater
Yellowstone Coalition.
"This is demonstrating the political nature of this,
rather than the scientific nature," Scott said.
Grazing animals usually contract brucellosis by exposure
to infected birthing material or aborted fetuses.
The bacterial disease can cause animals - including domestic
cattle - to abort during the first pregnancy after exposure.
It also can cause flu-like undulant fever in humans.
In experiments, about 60 percent of vaccinated bison gave
birth to viable calves after being exposed to the disease.
Less than 20 percent of unvaccinated bison gave birth
to viable calves after exposure, Wallen said.
Top
of Page |
|
|
|
|
|
|
