America: 45,000 people volunteer to kill 12 bison cows
Between 400 and 600 bison live in the northern part of Grand Canyon Park
More than 45,000 people volunteered to kill 12 bison cows in the Grand Canyon National Park in the United States as part of a new program to manage the growing number of these animals, the National Park Service announced Friday.
A spokeswoman for the National Parks Administration, Caitlin Thomas, told "Agence France-Presse" that these animals could destroy the park's ecosystems, such as vegetation and soil, if their numbers rose dramatically.
She added that there is mounting concern about "the increasing impacts on park resources such as water, plants, soil and archaeological sites."
So, officials at the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona came up with the idea of launching the "lethal removal" process and making it available to volunteers from the public.
They received more than 45,000 applications in just two days, and chose an initial set of 25 names by drawing lots.
It will be confirmed that this group possesses the archery and fitness standards required to carry out the mission, and 12 people will be finally selected from them by May 17th.
The National Park Service explained that "lethal removal" is not considered a hunting operation because it is under the control of the park authorities and serves both public and recreational interests.
Since 2019, the national park has been moving surplus bison populations to other areas.
Between 400 and 600 bison live in the northern part of the park.
Within 10 years, the population is expected to triple, to about 1,500 animals.
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