By Kim George Claremont
If you have ever been in the presence of a wild bison roaming freely on the land, you truly have been blessed. If you have never been in the presence of these magnificent creatures, then you truly do not know what you are missing. I have been blessed by the opportunity to have visited these splendid creatures when my husband and I were traveling to Yellowstone in 1993 on vacation. We stopped outside of Yellowstone National park and viewed them roaming. To see them in person is quite an experience to say the least.
I am deeply concerned for the preservation and safety of these free roaming bison. I understand that some ranchers are concerned about a possible transfer of a disease called brucellosis to their livestock, but this has been an unproven risk. We cannot endanger these magnificent creatures on an unproven concern. When the bison are gone, they will be gone forever. We cannot let that happen to them and to lose them would be to lose a living legend in our great United States of America.
We all need to be concerned for these great creatures so they are no longer slaughtered for doing what they instinctually do, roam freely for food and shelter. With so few bison left, how can we not protect them?
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 16, 2008. Read the original PDF.