Bison are an essential component of YellowstoneNational Park because they contribute to the biological, ecological, cultural, and aesthetic purposes of the park. However, YellowstoneNational Park is not a self-contained ecosystem for bison, and periodic migrations into Montana are natural events. Some bison have brucellosis and may transmit it to cattle outside the park boundaries in Montana. As bison migrate out of the park and into Montana, they move from one jurisdiction with management objectives to a different jurisdiction with different management objectives. Therefore, the cooperation of several agencies is required to fully manage the herd and the risk of transmission of brucellosis from bison to Montana domestic cattle.
Did You Know?
There were no wolves in Yellowstone in 1994. The wolves that were reintroduced in 1995 and 1996 thrived and there are now over 300 of their descendents living in the Greater Yellowstone Area.