A visitor to Yellowstone National Park pleaded guilty to a federal charge and was fined after helping a bison calf, which was later euthanized after its herd rejected it, authorities said.
Clifford Walters, of Hawaii, pleaded guilty to one count of intentionally feeding, touching, taunting, frightening or disturbing wildlife, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming said.
He was ordered to pay a total of about $1,000 in a fine and payment to the park’s wildlife fund, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming said in a declaration.
On May 20, Walters helped a newborn bison calf out of the Lamar River after the animal became separated from its herd, the National Park Service said.
But the calf was later rejected by the herd, which can happen when humans interfere with wildfires, according to the park.
Staff later killed the calf because it was abandoned and because it was «causing a dangerous situation by approaching cars and people along the road,» the park said in a statement.
There was nothing to indicate that Walters acted maliciously, federal prosecutors said.
Walters represented himself in the case, court records show. He declined to comment Wednesday.
yellow stone has explained his decision culling the calf instead of sending it to a sanctuary or caring for it by saying that state and federal regulations prohibit the transfer of bison outside of Yellowstone, except for scientific research or meat processing.
The park also said that it is there to preserve natural processes and that it is not a zoo. He said that many of the 25% of the bison born this spring will die, but they will benefit other animals by feeding them.
«Allowing this life cycle to unfold aligns more closely with the stewardship responsibility entrusted to us by the American people. Unfortunately, the calf’s behavior on the roads and around people was dangerous, so rangers had to intervene: but the calf’s body was left in the landscape,» he said.
Park officials have emphasized that visitors should give wildlife space, staying at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves and at least 25 yards from other animals.
The sentence handed down for Walters included a $500 fine and a $500 payment to the Yellowstone Wildlife Protection Fund, the US Attorney’s Office said.