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Yellowstone bison wanders into Idaho

Rare footage
Posted at 6:24 PM, Jul 29, 2018
and last updated 2018-07-30 12:41:36-04

Here's something you don't see very often, if ever: a wild bison running alongside the highway in Idaho!
Six On Your Side environmental reporter Steve Liebenthal was in eastern Idaho last week shooting several environmental stories, when he captured this rare footage of a large bull bison that wandered out of Yellowstone Park.

We spoke to the state veterinarian who says this is a rare occurrence, that is concerning to the Idaho

Department of Agriculture. The state vet says bison pose a risk to people... Who often get too close to the wild animals.... and straying bison could spread disease to cattle in the area.

State officials tracked the bison, and say it moved into Montana on Friday, the day after we spotted it just north of Island Park. Fish and Game says capturing a wild bison is extremely difficult, so when this happens they generally try to haze the animal back into Yellowstone.