YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. — A newborn bison calf at Yellowstone National Park was euthanized after a man moved it from a riverbank to a roadway last week, park officials said.
It happened the evening of May 20 in Lamar Valley near the confluence of the Lamar River and Soda Butte Creek in the northeast corner of the park, according to a news release. Park officials said the calf had been separated from its mother when the herd crossed the Lamar River. As the calf struggled, the man pushed it up from the river and onto the roadway, according to the release.
Visitors later saw the calf walk up and follow cars and people.
"Interference by people can cause wildlife to reject their offspring," the park said in the release. "In this case, park rangers tried repeatedly to reunite the calf with the herd. These efforts failed. The calf was later killed by park staff because it was abandoned by the herd and causing a hazardous situation by approaching cars and people along the roadway."
Park regulations require that people stay at least 25 yards away from all wildlife – including bison – and at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves.
Yellowstone was the seventh most-visited national park in the United States last year, with more than 3.2 million visitors.
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