Yellowstone tourists put bison calf in car because they’re worried it’s cold

[L. Coyote]

Do we need a new subject in schools, Thinking 101?

http://www.eastidahonews.com/2016/05/yellowstone-tourists-worried-bison-calf-is-cold-so-they-put-it-in-their-car/

.... Karen Richardson of Victor, Idaho, was one of several parents chaperoning a group of fifth-graders on a field trip to Yellowstone this week.

Richardson says on Monday, as students were being taught at Lamar Buffalo Ranch, a father and son pulled up at the ranger station with a bison calf in their SUV.

“They were demanding to speak with a ranger,” Richardson tells EastIdahoNews.com. “They were seriously worried that the calf was freezing and dying.” .....

[liberal N proud]

1. They were lucky the mother was not near

[ghostsinthemachine]

2. Was there a T rump bumper sticker on the SUV?

[Turin_C3PO]

12. Like a Trump supporter would give a shit about a cold buffalo...

Last edited Sun May 15, 2016, 02:49 PM - Edit history (1)

[L. Coyote]

16. Almost the same color of fur coat as Trump's head.

But nonetheless, Trump supporter might not know about warm-bloodedness.

[djean111]

3. I don't understand all the derision and, in some cases, anger.

The people were concerned. They were not trying to smuggle the calf out of the park. This looks more like not enough information about the buffalo was given out beforehand.

Hopefully they don't come across an animal in actual distress and decide to pass on helping it or even reporting it. I will have second thoughts now.

[jberryhill]

4. "an animal in distress"

Like one that is wounded, and will be providing coyotes and birds with their next meal? And then you'll come back to feed them something else instead?

The signage, and the law, in federal parks is pretty unambiguous - you don't interfere with wild animals. Period. Under any circumstances. This is not someone's lost pet or livestock.

The way the Internet reacts to the daily "which fallible person in 7 billion fallible people did something odd today" story is, I agree, childish. However, yes, if anyone had any inclination to interfere with wildlife in a National Park, then hopefully they have gotten the memo.

[djean111]

5. I see your point, and agree - but the vitriol I have seen about this is really

puzzling. Oh, well.

When I lived in Bloomington, Illinois, we used to go and visit a "prairie preserve" or something like that, near Peoria.

http://wildlifeprairiepark.org/

They had a small herd of buffalo. There was a huge chain-link fence around the herd. This was a VERY long time ago, it is more "organized" now. That fence was bellied out in the places where stupid people would deliberately try and get the buffalo's attention. Despite the "don't provoke the giant animal who would trample you if he could" signage.
And those animals are ENORMOUS.

Another thing I remember - every year, in the Midwest, a few farmers would get killed by the cute buffalo calf they hand-raised.

[jberryhill]

6. Another point buried in the story

Is that the tourists were from an unspecified foreign country.

There are many countries in which natural areas are small and the management philosophy and approach is different.

In, say, the summer in the alps, if you came across a calf in distress, well, yeah, that's someone's cattle sent up for the grazing season. The idea of really "wild" areas per se, and keeping them that way, is different from the managed natural areas in a lot of countries.

In the US, it is more common knowledge that these places are intended to be wild - complete with animals "in distress" which is part and parcel of being wild.

[worstexever]

7. It's just another thing we can all get outraged about

It happens every day thanks to social media and frankly I'm beyond tired of it.

[Bigmack]

9. I'm not outraged. I'm amused/amazed/astonished... but not outraged. nt

[Maru Kitteh]

10. Because it's deadly fucking ignorance that gets innocent animals and stupid people killed

that's why.

There are signs EVERYWHERE in the park and literature handed out (or available & posted) at the entrances that specifically inform that wild animals are NOT TO BE APPROACHED or fed or INTERFERED WITH in any way.

Stupid a-hole tourists are directly and indirectly responsible for the demise of countless animals every year and endanger themselves and their families as well as those nearby in the process. Those of us who live here ache for the damage done by people like this every year.

If they were concerned they should have alerted a ranger - NOT INTERFERED based on their own ignorant impulses.

They could not be bothered to read or heed the information provided them. Your insinuation that the park was negligent in providing them "enough information about the buffalo" is pretty shameful.

[jberryhill]

13. Incidentally, they were foreign tourists

[Maru Kitteh]

15. I really don't care if they were from Mars. It is still true.

Last edited Sun May 15, 2016, 03:15 PM - Edit history (1)

[L. Coyote]

18. Exactly.

[Vinca]

8. Well, at least they were well intentioned.

[Maru Kitteh]

11. Well-intentioned idiocy results in the death of countless animals every year

And endangers (sometimes kills) numbers of visitors as well.

[Vinca]

14. I know, but at least they didn't shoot it. That's something.

I just read about the first wolverine spotted in this country in more than a century and some asshole shot it.

[Rex]

17. Well I would say they learned something new then and that is not a bad thing.

Obviously they don't know a lot about wildlife.

[L. Coyote]

19. First time out of a city perhaps!

A lot of people have not seen wild animals yet. Still, people should be able to do some reasoning and understand animals in nature don't need warm houses.

[Rex]

20. I am sure a lot of people apply anthropomorphism toward animals.

These folks just did it toward wildlife, it was a baby so it must be cold. At least they learned a lesson from this.

[Quackers]

21. Looks like they euthanized the baby.

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Yellowstone-tourists-put-baby-bison-in-car-7469642.php

[L. Coyote]

22. One of the problems with handling calves is their scent is changed and they get rejected by the cow.

It upsets a delicate balance in nature. Can be dealt with by placing the cow in a chute so the calf can suckle. Usually that works with cattle. But you can't easily do that to a wild animal.

[GoCubsGo]

24. The calf was already likely abandoned.

That's why it was wandering around alone, and why those people were able to get near it, without its mother coming and goring them to death. Their gross ignorance aside, they inadvertently did the calf a favor by saving it from the natural death it going to face. It died a quick, painless death, rather than painfully dying of starvation, or from getting torn apart by a pack of wolves or other predators.

[backscatter712]

23. How many people earn themselves Darwin Awards with this shit.

Those tourists should consider themselves lucky that Mama Bison didn't come and stomp them into the ground like tent pegs for messing with the calf.

As park rangers across the country know, people are fucking stupid. "Hey little Johnny, want to ride the elk? I'll put you on the one with the really big antlers!"