Yellowstone is forced to KILL baby bison after park guest saves him from drowning in river

Rangers in Yellowstone National Park were forced to euthanize a bison calf after it was grabbed by a man who believed he was saving it from drowning.

Park staff said they tried to reintroduce the animal to the herd, but human contact caused the bison to be rejected and abandoned, forcing them to kill the animal.

Now park officials are trying to identify the man, who was pictured moving the calf from the riverbank to the road as part of their investigation.

The incident happened May 20 as the calf’s herd was in the process of crossing the Lamar River in Wyoming, in the northeastern part of the park.

After separating the calf from its mother, the man went to the water and helped it up from the bank, where it began to walk towards people and cars.

The calf’s herd was crossing the Lamar River (pictured) in Wyoming, in the northeastern part of Yellowstone National Park

Linda Veress, a spokesperson for Yellowstone National Park, told DailyMail.com that the animal was euthanized on Saturday night — just hours after being handled by the unidentified man.

“After multiple attempts by park rangers to reunite the calf with the herd, the bison calf was euthanized Saturday night, May 20,” she wrote.

Veress also suggested that if identified, tthe charge he could face would be a class B misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and a $5,000 fine.

In 2015, Yellowstone National Park officials released a graphic pamphlet drawing of a man being gored by bison in an attempt to evade tourists from the creatures.

“An unidentified white male between the ages of 40 and 50, wearing a blue shirt and black pants, approached a newborn bison calf,” park officials wrote in the statement Tuesday.

“The calf was separated from its mother when the herd crossed the Lamar River,” it read.

As the calf struggled, the man pushed the calf out of the river and onto the roadway. Visitors later saw that the calf walked towards cars and people and followed it.’

The rangers warned against any contact with wildlife in the park. This isn’t the first time visitors to the park have come into contact with bison with a similar effect.

In 2016, a father and son turned in a baby bison at the Lamar Buffalo Ranch, just two miles northwest of where this weekend’s incident occurred near the convergence of the Lamar River and Soda Butte Creek.

At the time, Karen Richardson of Victor, Idaho, was at the ranch when the father and son showed up with the bison in the back of their SUV.

“They wanted to talk to a ranger,” she said told EastIdahoNews.com in 2016. “They were very concerned that the calf was freezing and dying.”

Rob Heusevelet, who was also present, told the men to get the bison out of the car and told them they could get in trouble for having the animal.

“They didn’t care,” says Heusevelet. “They honestly thought they were doing a service and helping that calf by trying to save it from the cold.”

Pictured is an unrelated herd of bison stopping traffic in the Hayden Valley in September 2022

In 2016, a father and son put another bison calf (pictured) in their car in Yellowstone National Park. It was also installed later

Park officials warned after Saturday’s incident that violating park rules requiring guests to stay at least 25 yards away from bison, elk and deer and at least 100 yards from bears and wolves could result in fines.

On its website, the National Parks Service warns of the dangers of large wild animals. Bison can run three times faster than humans can sprint and are unpredictable and dangerous.

‘Visitors must give the animals sufficient space and adjust their own behavior to avoid interaction with an animal in their vicinity. Do not approach animals in the wild, no matter how tame or calm they seem. Always follow the instructions of the park staff on site.’

In 2015, Yellowstone National Park officials released a graphic pamphlet drawing of a man being gored by bison in an attempt to evade tourists from the creatures.