United States: bison threatened by hunting near Yellowstone Park

These are some of the most majestic and iconic landscapes in the United States. Yellowstone National Park and its famous bison roaming freely. Only, every winter, the surroundings of the park resemble a river of blood. Until april se unfolds a hunt on the borders of the protected territory of Yellowstone, where hunting is prohibited. As soon as you leave the park, hunters sometimes shoot the bison at point-blank range, accustomed to the presence of tourists. This season, nearly 1,500 animals have already been slaughteredincluding hundreds of pregnant females. This represents almost a quarter of the total bison population in Yellowstone.

A traditional hunt

For animal defense associations, it’s a massacre. “The bison’s survival is difficult in the winter because of the snow in Yellowstone, so they must migrate outside the park for food.”explains Bonnie Lynn, the founder of the Yellowstone Association Voices. Rescued animals are not necessarily saved. These hunts are essentially carried out by three Native American tribes who have a special status and escape the rules in force for other hunters. The authorities have no control over this traditional hunt, even if the federal parks warn of a risk of extinction of the species.