The tourist who made headlines around the world for putting a baby bison into his SUV, which later led to the animal being euthanized, is a man from Quebec.
Park spokeswoman Charissa Reid told reporters that a criminal complaint was filed against Quebec resident Shamash Kassam, who told rangers that he loaded the animal into the back of his SUV and drove it to the park facility because he thought it was cold.
Kassam was fined $110, cited by Yellowstone Officials for disrupting wildlife, and is now due in court at the Yellowstone Justice Center on June 2.
On Monday, Yellowstone officials announced that the calf had to be euthanized, because it was rejected from its herd after they made numerous attempts to reunite it.
“…it was abandoned and causing a dangerous situation by continually approaching people and cars along the roadway,” the park said in a statement.
According to reports, park officials also said that they couldn’t ship the calf elsewhere, because it would need to be quarantined for months, and they don’t have the facility to do so.
This unfortunate series of events highlights the importance of keeping your distance from wildlife, which park officials are trying to reiterate, even though the information is handed to visitors as they come in the park, and is written on signs throughout it.
The park is also reminding people that getting too close to a bison can be as dangerous for them as it is for the animal. In fact, bison injure more Yellowstone visitors than any other animal. Five people were gored by the park’s bison last summer, and Reid said the number of attacks are on the rise.
The citation states that Kassam told a ranger he understood what he did was wrong and that he wouldn’t disturb wildlife again.
