Planning a vacation to the American West this summer?

How about boycotting the State of Montana in protest of their intended slaughter of 300 wild bison, including many small nursing calves, in the next few days.

The Montana Department of Livestock (DOL) has set up a bison trap near the West Yellowstone airport, on state land and they intend to begin capturing approximately 300 wild buffalo, including tiny newborns and their whole families, beginning Thursday, May 31.

Little buffalo calves between one month to a week old will be captured, separated from their mothers, and taken to the slaughterhouse along with their mothers and any other buffalo caught in the trap.

Click here to see photos of the beautiful buffalo babies and their families that are slated for execution:

http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/media/photos/bisonphotos0607maycalves.html

At an "emergency" Board of Livestock meeting in the Governor's office Tuesday, the decision was made by Montana's acting state veterinarian Jeanne Rankin. State agents will capture and ship these buffalo to slaughter without even testing for brucellosis exposure--the State’s only excuse for continuing to kill these gentle creatures.

Yellowstone Superintendent Suzanne Lewis was asked at the meeting Tuesday if capturing and transporting the buffalo deeper into Yellowstone would be a feasible alternative to slaughtering them.

While the DOL said it is feasible, Suzanne Lewis shot down this option. Apparently Suzanne Lewis to forfeit the lives of America's last wild buffalo rather than relocate them.

She said, "it has never been a policy of the Interagency Bison Management Plan to haul bison into the Park."

In other words, she's attempting to wash her hands of this atrocity, handing the fate of these buffalo over to Montana, which intends to haul them all to slaughter.

The decision to trap and slaughter comes hot on the heels of brucellosis being discovered in a Montana cattle herd, far to the north and east of Yellowstone and far from any migration route of wild buffalo.

There are no cattle currently in the West Yellowstone area and the majority of the bison to be captured and slaughtered pose NO risk of bacteria transmission. Because the bacteria can only be transmitted through contaminated reproductive materials, bison bulls, yearlings, non-pregnant females, calves, and mothers with calves CANNOT transmit the bacteria. Bison are not to blame for the outbreak of brucellosis in a Montana cattle herd. Wild bison have never transmitted brucellosis to cattle. But the cattle industry wants to blame someone for the outbreak, and as always, they have set their sights on wildlife.

These agencies are seriously concerned about the black eye they will receive in the press and jury of public opinion for committing this act against the nation's last wild buffalo.

Let’s give them some publicity they won’t soon forget!

Please contact these three decision-makers and demand that they cease plans to capture and slaughter the buffalo who are trying to live wild and free! Contact each by phone, fax, and email and let's not let them forget that the world is watching!

* MONTANA GOVERNOR BRIAN SCHWEITZER: Demand that Schweitzer keep his campaign promise to provide tolerance for bison in Montana.
(406) 444-3111 (phone)
(406) 444-5529 (fax)
governor@mt.gov (email)

* MONTANA ACTING STATE VET JEANNE RANKIN: Urge her to withdraw her decision to slaughter Yellowstone bison calves and family groups. Remind her you are boycotting beef and your friends are joining you!
(406) 444-1895 (phone)
(800) 523-3162 (phone)
(406) 444-1929 (fax)
jrankin@mt.gov (email)

* YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK SUPERINTENDENT SUZANNE LEWIS: Ask her if it's really worth the lives of 300 wild buffalo, including newborn calves, to have Montana ship them to slaughter rather than deeper into the Park.
(307) 344-2002 (phone)
(307) 344-2005 (fax)
suzanne_lewis@nps.gov OR yell_superintendent@nps.gov (email)

And be sure to boycott the State of Montana in your vacation plans this summer!