Day two of three of the bison round up went "just fine," according to Eileen Andes, Theodore Roosevelt National Park chief of interpretation and public affairs.
"Our end of day total for Wednesday is 98 bison, bringing our two day count to 182 bison," said TRNP Chief Ranger Tom Cox, incident commander for the roundup.
Crews began the roundup Tuesday and processed 84 bison without any injury to animals or people, Andes said.
There were no injuries Wednesday either, said Valerie Naylor, park superintendent.
"Everything is going according to plan," Andes said. "Things are running pretty smoothly right now."
ADVERTISEMENT
The Spirit Lake Tribe took 42 of the animals Wednesday, but they will be getting some more, The Blackfeet Nation in Montana will also be taking some, Naylor said.
All brucellosis tests have come up negative so far, Andes said.
Brucellosis is a disease that can cause aborted pregnancies in cattle and related animals.
Before the roundup, TRNP had about 325 bison in the North Unit and it is looking to reduce that number to about 100, Andes said.
The park wants to keep the population at one adult male for every two adult females and hopes to maintain a population dominated by younger-aged bison, according to a Wednesday Dickinson Press article.
The park will be culling between 200 and 250 bison to be divided evenly between the Spirit Lake Tribe and the Blackfeet Nation, Naylor said.
The Native American tribes will use the bison for ceremonial purposes and healthy food programs, Andes said.
Bison meat is lean and healthy, Andes said.
ADVERTISEMENT
The final day of the roundup will begin this morning, Naylor said.
"We plan to finish up processing and shipping the bison," Naylor said.
Rounding up the buffalo and reducing herd numbers is a regular part of wildlife management in the park, Andes said.
"It's all part of taking care of the park and its resources," Andes said.
The Dickinson Press and the Herald are both Forum Communications Co. newspapers.
