An Earth Day essay by Flo Gardipee
As I walk across the verdant lawns here at The University of Montana campus in Missoula, the fresh, clean smell of earth rises up to greet me. Squirrels scamper about noisily defending their territories from encroaching neighbors. The blue sky above fills my senses as the warmth of the sun lulls me into a temporary sense of peace.
Yet as the sun warms my winter weary bones, I am startled back to reality by the thought that in another part of the state the arrival of spring brings torture, harassment, and death to wild bison. In spite of the peaceful weather, I am unsettled by the knowledge that twenty one members of America's last wild bison herd were sent to slaughter this past week.
Not even the sparkling, azure sky can erase the memory of a fellow buffalo warrior's horrified description of a hazing operation in West Yellowstone. Tears born of sadness and frustration filled my eyes, as she described how Montana Department of Livestock agents on snowmobiles chased a group of bison into a barbed wire fence, wounding several of them. One bison in particular apparently suffered a dramatic injury, as evidenced by the trail of blood which followed him into the capture facility.
Upon incarceration this animal, injured and physically traumatized, just simply laid down. The state agents were unable to coax him into the chutes for brucellosis testing and quickly grew frustrated with this wild animal's impudence. Physically overwhelmed and suffering, he continued to ignore their angry tirades as a large pool of red grew beside him. Finally, some of the agents decided to exercise punishment against their reluctant captive with the aid of a two by four piece of lumber. For ten to fifteen minutes, an eternity in bison time, the state of Montana's hired goons beat an already injured and traumatized wild animal. And yes, we did get video.
The week before, several orphaned bison calves were released on their own, after their mothers were sent to slaughter for the crime of bearing evidence of exposure to brucellosis. Meanwhile, the well known "Frankensteins" of wildlife biology have begun placing artificially induced bison fetuses out in traditional bison calving grounds to study their environmental persistence. The absence of actual aborted fetuses for this study has precipitated this misguided scientific effort. "Frankenstein et al" will see their names printed in another peer reviewed journal article and fill their pockets with grant money. And, America's last wild heritage will continue their unwilling migration into capture facilities, slaughter houses, and history.
"Frankenstein et al" have been very busy for several years in the greater Yellowstone area. It seems they inoculated wild elk in Wyoming in 1998 with an expired batch of brucellosis vaccine approved for use only in cattle. Since then the level of antibodies to brucellosis in this elk population have risen sharply. They are not sure if it is a result of the vaccine or exposure to an aborted elk fetus. It is interesting to note that these elk are concentrated in a high density feeding ground situation, where infectious diseases can spread like wild fire. Idaho officials state that exposure to the brucellosis bacteria does not mean the elk are infected, they may have been exposed enough to develop antibodies to fight the bacteria.
Contrast this to the state of Montana who insist that almost any level of antibodies in bison are evidence of infection. This year antibodies detected by a recently abandoned testing method, touted as extremely sensitive and accurate, sent over forty bison to an unnecessary death. Bison advocacy groups discovered that this test, known as the Fluorescent Polarization Assay, was not properly validated for use in bison. Much to their embarrassment, "Frankenstein et al" failed to follow proper scientific method and got caught with their lab coats down.
This test does indeed detect minute amounts of brucellosis antibodies. However, it only detects IgG antibodies, long term immunity, which can persist in low levels well after an exposure to the organism. When positive results from this test were compared to culture tests, which actually detect the organism, only 20% of these bison actually had brucellosis. That means that 80% of the test results from this "accurate and sensitive" new test sent over thirty uninfected bison to slaughter this year. Now, "Frankenstein et al" are scrambling to validate this faulty methodology with skewed data and author yet another peer reviewed atrocity.
Hope for the future of the buffalo nation rises up on four wobbly legs and takes it's first breath of life. Thunder Rose, one of the bison cows we've raised, has given birth to a little golden bull calf in on this beautiful spring day. Meanwhile, his relations born in West Yellowstone will face the onslaught of armed government agents on snowmobiles. No sooner will they have taken their first breath of life, than they will have to run for it. They might end up orphaned or wind up on a slaughter house floor themselves. The thought makes me battle weary, it's been a long war, this "Buffalo War". It's been seven years since my oldest daughter came to me with tears in her eyes, wondering why they were shooting Yellowstone's bison. I fear it may take much longer to peacefully resolve this issue.
In one year from now I will be graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology. I pray that my name will never be included with the likes of "Frankenstein et al" on the glossy pages of some obscure scientific journal. Or, that I will never be subject to joining in the camaraderie of government goons as they brutalize wildlife. In light of their actions, maybe I'd rather be known for what I didn't do.
In my eighteen years of service in the medical field I learned to operate under a single guiding principle, "Do no harm...". Perhaps the government agents and scientists involved in bison (mis) management, need to apply this principle to their work as well. Someday I will be responsible for the well being and management of wildlife. I hope that my actions and decisions will "do no harm".
As I watch our new little bison calf romp next it's mother, I offer a prayer of thanksgiving for all the Creator has put on this earth and guidance for conserving what's left.
Happy birthday little buffalo, happy earth day....
Flo Gardipee is a double major in Wildlife Biology and Native American Studies at The University of Montana. As a board member with the Buffalo Field Campaign for last five years, Flo has conducted detailed research regarding the scientific aspects of bison biology and has advocated on behalf of the Yellowstone bison and the cultural rights of Native Americans in relation to them. She was recently awarded a Morris K. Udall Scholarship for 2002-2003. Flo has also been the recipient of the University's Diversity Advisory Council Student Achievement Award for 2000/ 2001 and 2001/ 2002. Flo was named as Jeannette Rankin Scholar this past year as well.