Clifford Walters pleaded guilty Wednesday to counts of feeding, touching, teasing, startling or intentionally disturbing wildlife and was ordered to pay about $1,000, half of which will go to the park’s wildlife fund, the U.S. prosecutor in a statement opinion.
Walters had tried to help the bison calf after it was separated from its mother on May 20 and was struggling to get out of the Lamar River, park officials said.
However, this contact resulted in the bison herd rejecting the calf, despite repeated unsuccessful attempts by park rangers to reunite them.
The calf was later euthanized by park staff as it posed a danger from oncoming cars and people on the road.
Prosecutors said there was no evidence Walters acted intentionally.
According to the park, it was the calf Euthanized rather than being sent to a sanctuary, as federal and state regulations prohibit transporting bison out of the park unless they are being sent to meat processing or scientific research facilities.
in one opinionYellowstone National Park reminded visitors to keep a minimum distance of 25 meters from all wildlife and a minimum distance of 100 meters from bears and wolves.
Subscribe to our true crime newsletter, Suspicious Circumstances, to get the biggest unsolved mysteries, business scandals and intriguing cases delivered straight to your inbox each week. Login here.