A beautiful Bison, still wearing its winter coat, taken many years ago.
As some of you may know, I have recently started another WP Blog named tahtonka.
It was created for two reasons, one to deflect the often intense pain from frequent postings, (like today’s story) on this Blog and second to reflect my education and passion for Global Culture.
The name tahtonka has become extremely meaningful to me for several reasons and those reasons for choosing it for the new Blog, were explained on its very first posting:
http://tahtonka.wordpress.com/2014/02/01/tahtonka-in-the-beginning/
Now, in light of that revelation, you can only imagine how reading the stories in my email today has sickened me.
May I say, that if you have never been to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, you have cheated yourself of an unforgettable experience.
One of the many things that make Yellowstone so remarkable, are its beautiful, wild wildlife.
And, of all of them, the Bison/Buffalo reigns supreme, at least for me.
Making trips there nearly a dozen times over the years, has been the high point of an otherwise quite dull existence, I believe.
After spending countless hours watching them in this park and looking back at my hundreds of pictures of them, it is inconceivable to me that they are being slaughtered.
There are more memories than can quickly be shared here, but there was one in particular that stood out, of a young man in a tiny sports car who decided to drive around a Bison herd that had decided to stop right in the middle of the road.
His decision proved to be fatal for his tiny car, as they first gathered around it as he tried to pass them, and then several of them actually sat on it.
Yes , he got out and was safe, but I doubt that the he will ever be foolish enough again, to try to outwit a Bison.
So many times over the years, I would just park my Jeep on the side of the road and watch them in all of their splendid, regal, glory.
They are truly a majestic, powerful being and will make a believer out of you, if you get too close, as has happened on occasion, when a tourist who has not read the warning bulletin from the front gate, has learned.
So, today when learning that the most beautiful creature to ever roam Yellowstone Park is being slaughtered for VERY questionable, to me, reasons, I am forced to share this heart wrenching information with all of you, so that you can hopefully be as dismayed, and disgusted as I am right now and like me, will do something.
Sign something, call, write, do anything to let the US Government know that this is not acceptable.
The stories are below as always, but, be prepared dear readers, your heart may hurt after reading them, mine did.
This is the last remaining wild herd in our country and the weak, deceitful, reasoning behind this governmental decision, leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.
As they have repeatedly done all over this country, the US Government is again, catering to cattlemen, and ranchers, who in this case are freaking out that their cows could possibly be made sick by wandering Bison who for some reason, just cannot seem to be able to read those state lines signs and cross over from Yellowstone into Montana.
This is by the way, or was the last time I was there, a state with no Highway speed limits. Hello!
Anyway, at the rate that these last wild and free Bison in America are being murdered right now, if you have not seen them in Yellowstone already, you had better get up there and soon.
The stories, the information and the facts are here, they are very sad:
Yellowstone Begins 2014 Wild Bison Slaughter
Hunting Proposed as Answer to Yellowstone Bison Problem
Yellowstone Initiates 2014 Wild Bison Slaughter
Yellowstone Begins Wild Bison Slaughter
Walking with the Alligators 
This sounds very similar to the Bovine TB issue in the UK, which recently led to farmers putting so much pressure on the government that they carried out badger culls in certain areas, despite much evidence suggesting that this could exacerbate the spread of the disease in cattle. It really angers me how the government often go against scientific evidence/morality simply to look as if they’re trying to provide a solution to a problem.
How can a vote be more important than a life?
A brilliant comment. Thank you. Thought the badger cull was a nightmare as well! How can we respect a government that ignores public thinking and wishes?
Exactly. In the UK, the farming community are more likely to be Tories, so the government are clearly trying to appease them in order to remain in their favour, but I fail to understand how people can have so little respect for other life forms. Bison, badgers and other beautiful creatures should be left alone to live a natural existence, not used as a political tool!
Thank you for blogging about this issue- you’ve inspired me to blog about an animal rights issue now!
Thank you.
That is simply one of the most beautiful things anyone has ever said to me.
I am grateful for your attention to animals and humbled by your words~
Don’t be humbled- be proud! 🙂 It’s wonderful to see someone speaking out for animals.
Reblogged this on Rantings From a Virtual Soapbox and commented:
This is so shocking in the extreme! Is no animal safe from man. What right have human beings got to murder animals whenever they so please. This is not our world to do with as we wish, we share it with myriad species of animals, it is their world too and they have as much right to live as we do.
Indeed it is very similar to the badger cull here in the UK. We will never have a peaceful just world while we mercilessly kill the earth’s other inhabitants. I always thought bison were protected, which of course they should be. But then badgers where protected until the government decided they were an inconvenience and needed to be massacred.
This hurts me personally, very deeply. It was extremely difficult to post it, but it had to be presented.
I am an American, I was born in this Country and I love my country, but, I am ashamed of the behavior of those
who should and could be doing the right thing for this country and its wildlife, but time after time, this is not the case.
With the advent of social media, networking and global organizations, people all over the world are speaking in unison now, ” We are not going to accept this brutality, this heinous behavior, anymore and we will stop you.”
What I am proud of, is this surge of new found spirit in people, ordinary people everywhere, who are speaking out and acting out against the tyranny towards the planet and the living things that occupy it.
Our world is wired now, watch out!
God Bless you all, may you never stop.
Reblogged this on "OUR WORLD".
Thank you so much Nancy!
Sigh…
Exactly!