The Curious Case of the Ronald Lake Bison: When is wildlife not wildlife?

Wild Lands Advocate article, April 2015, by Sean Nichols

When is wildlife not wildlife? The Government of Alberta’s answer seems to be “when they are diseased.” This classification means that outside park boundaries, wood bison in Alberta receive no protection from poaching or other forms of hunting at any time of year. Other than a public health advisory issued in 1992 “urging anyone handling, processing, and consuming potentially diseased bison to take precautions” it is open season on these animals.