Fort Peck Tribes receive 219 Yellowstone bison as tribal herd grows
New delivery marks the largest Yellowstone shipment to the reservation so far
The Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Reservation recently received 219 bison from Yellowstone National Park as part of a conservation and transfer program that moves disease-free animals to tribal lands, according to Montana Free Press. The animals arrived in mid-February at Turtle Mound Buffalo Ranch near Wolf Point, Montana, marking the largest shipment the tribes have received from Yellowstone National Park.
The program operates through a partnership involving Yellowstone National Park, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services and the state of Montana to relocate bison after quarantine and disease testing, according to Montana Free Press. Fort Peck manages both a cultural herd used for tribal hunts, ceremonies, food distribution and education and a business herd that supports the program through controlled hunts and lotteries. The InterTribal Buffalo Council also helps coordinate the transfer of Yellowstone bison from Fort Peck to other tribal nations.
- 1.Emily Senkosky. Montana Free Press, .
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