1).- They are bison, not cows (wild, free, independent hairy beasts).
2).- They MIGHT have brucellosis
3).- One of them that has brucellosis MIGHT copulate with a cow (at least sombody thinks so).
4).- They were hungry and left the National Park in search of food, where they're fair game.
5).- They don't have owners (to defend them or collect for the loss of this "property").
6).- They can't defend themselves (they can't shoot back or even litigate).
7).- The people who do it have guns.
8).- The people who are doing it like to kill bisons and found an unplausible
but good enough (to get away with it so far) pretext to do so.
It will do no good to arm the bisons as their hooves prevent them from pulling a trigger and in any case, some are pacific and the rest not good strategists.
On the other hand, there are PEOPLE who do that rather well, and some of em might want to mix it up a little in defense of our good old noble bison buddies .
Friends of the Bisons, The Bison Brigade, The Bison Defense League, The Buffalo Protection Association, The Bison Shepherds (BS) Society (you get the picture): To counterbalance
"Bison Control"; The Friends of the Bison Patrol.
Anybody think I'm kidding? What comes after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals?
(The judges that sit on that bench get paid to make that kind of "quality" decision?
Are they elected or appointed functionaries? Are they tested for senility? Are they
tested for anything? Apparently ANYBODY can get to be one. Anyboy have an
email address for them)? Or where does this go next?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>BRUCELLOSIS, BISON - USA (MONTANA): CONTROL
>***************************
>
>A federal appeals court refused Thursday to stop Montana from
>slaughtering bison outside Yellowstone National Park to prevent the
>animals from infecting cattle with brucellosis, a serious livestock
>disease. Bison leave Yellowstone in search of winter forage. About
>half test positive for brucellosis, a disease that can cause cows to
>abort and, in rare cases, can spread to humans and cause a recurring
>fever.
>
>In a one-sentence ruling, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
>upheld a federal judge's decision allowing the state and the National
>Park Service to continue killing bison as they have for the last 3
>winters.
>
>More than 1200 bison that left Yellowstone have been shot or shipped
>to slaughter in the last 3 years, mostly in the winter of 1996-97.
>
>Environmental groups challenging the plan contended there was no
>evidence the disease could spread from Yellowstone bison to cattle
>grazing on neighboring land. Also, they contended the slaughter
>conflicts with the designated role of the park as a wildlife
>sanctuary.
>
>John Bloomquist, the state's lawyer, told the court in a hearing
>last month that the state's stringent measures for controlling
>brucellosis have protected the cattle industry.
>
>Justice Department lawyer Andrew Mergen said at the same hearing
>brucellosis, target of a $1 billion government eradication program,
>has been eliminated virtually everywhere but among Yellowstone
>bison.
>
>- --
>ProMED-mail
><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
>Michele Gale-Sinex, communications manager
>Center for Integrated Ag Systems
>UW-Madison College of Ag and Life Sciences
>Voice: (608) 262-8018 FAX: (608) 265-3020
>http://www.wisc.edu/cias/
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>In the towers of steel, belief goes on and on
>in this heartland, in this heartland soil. --U2
>
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