“5/02/2008, 6:00pm EST”
CNN’s Dan Simon, Chuck Afflerbach, and Saeed Ahmed:
More than half of Yellowstone National Park’s bison herd has died since last fall, forcing the government to suspend its annual slaughter program.
More than 700 of the iconic animals starved or otherwise died on the mountainsides during an unusually harsh winter, and more than 1,600 were shot by hunters or sent to slaughterhouses in a disease-control effort, according to National Park Service figures.
Of course, they weren’t trying to save the bison from that “disease.” Indeed:
Government officials say the slaughter prevents the spread of the disease brucellosis from the Yellowstone bison to cattle on land near the park. Brucellosis can cause miscarriages, infertility and reduced milk production in domestic cattle.
Don’t look so surprised. You should have known it had to do with human food and personal greed.
Never leave home without it.
