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Bison corraled for birth control

November 23rd, 2009, 4:26 pm · 8 Comments · posted by Pat Brennan, green living, environment editor

Female bison are being rounded up on Santa Catalina Island for injection of contraceptives, the latest attempt to keep bison populations on the island from getting out of control. bisongoc

The corraling began Thursday, and scientists with the Catalina Island Conservancy hope to reduce the island’s herd — 350 in 2003, when they were found to be undernourished and in poor health — to 150 or 200.

Females over 2 years old will receive the injections in a five-year experiment.

The alternative, shipping the animals to Indian reservations, is costly and hard on the bison, the conservancy says.

The bison aren’t native to the island, but descend from animals brought over in 1924 for a movie. They never appeared in the film, but have become permanent fixtures on the island.

(2002 photo of bison on Catalina by the Associated Press.)

Read the Associated Press story.

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 8 Comments

  • GT says:
    November 23, 2009 at 4:57 pm

    In September 2009 they nearly had all the bison corralled on the island for a head count - now they want to limit “production”. Bison are a GREAT tourist draw..like the Tule Elk of the eastern Sierra. After the “Conservancy” exterminates all of the islands animals they’ll ban tourists and start a Jurassic Park style program run by some mad scientist and then rub their hands together and repeat over and over; mine all mine…

  • Frank says:
    November 23, 2009 at 4:58 pm

    Why not lottery hunting permits and harvest the population? Bison is much healthier for consumption [less fat higher in protein] than cattle and zero risk of bovine disease such as mad cow.

  • sikokitty says:
    November 23, 2009 at 5:04 pm

    Bison makes really good jerky. Just sayin’…..

  • logicisourfriend says:
    November 23, 2009 at 5:20 pm

    Why don’t they manage the bison like a ranch and harvest the meat? Use the profits to strengthen the herd and environment in which they live?

    • dribble says:
      November 24, 2009 at 6:30 pm

      Bison makes me sick. Does everyone out there know that logicisourfriend and aceofspades are one in the same, glued at the hip, same DNA - comprende?

      • WhoYaKiddin says:
        November 24, 2009 at 7:36 pm

        Yes friend I did know that! Nice catch though. The question is why does aceofspades want us all to think he is a chick? Maybe that is on his santa wish list this Xmas? At any rate logic/ace we have your number - YET AGAIN!

  • jbinoc says:
    November 23, 2009 at 6:42 pm

    Bison meat is awesome!

  • suzie says:
    November 24, 2009 at 7:01 pm

    The picture of the buffalo is alarming- it appears to be starving- they better get some hay fed to those animals, shots or no shots. At least call the Lakota Bison Cooperative in South Dakota to see if they will rescue them or at least educate whose in charge as to their care. This is appalling.