| Yellowstone Bison Slaughter
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Article 7/01/08 |
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Chronicle
Opinion: Yellowstone is a park, not a zoo
Bozeman Daily Chronicle
7/01/08 |
You
have to wonder what goes through people's minds when they
visit Yellowstone National Park. The signs and park
literature distributed at the gate are quite explicit:
Bison and other wildlife are just that - wild - so
keep your distance.
And yet, just like clockwork, the summer
season barely gets under way before the first human-bison
encounter ensues.
This year it happened on Friday when
a 12-year-old Pennsylvania boy was charged and tossed
into the air by a bull bison. Witnesses said the boy was
posing for a picture and standing less than 2 feet from
the animal. The boy escaped with minor injuries, but the
results could just as easily have been tragic. Bison are
large, fast and strong, and they will tolerate only so
much harassment.
Yellowstone can be deceptive. Firsttime
park visitors cannot help but be struck by the docile
appearance of the wildlife. Wild animals that spend all
or part of the year in the park seem to know instinctively
that they enjoy special protections within its boundaries.
As a result, they exhibit an almost unnatural lack of
fear of humans.
It's that seemingly unnatural tameness
that must lull visitors into thinking park wildlife are
essentially domesticated, that the park is just a glorified
petting zoo. But make no mistake: Park animals are indeed
wild and, when they feel threatened, they will react swiftly
and decisively to protect their space - and that can be
especially true of females with young.
Park officials recommend visitors stay
at least 25 yards from Yellowstone's bison. And yet
visitors ignore that advice on a regular basis - at their
own peril.
All national parks are famous for their
particular attributes. Glacier Park enjoys a worldwide
reputation for its spectacular mountain scenery. Wildlife
viewing is the most memorable part of Yellowstone for
most visitors. But it will be a far more enjoyable - and
safe - experience if that wildlife is viewed from a distance.
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