Some escaped Yellowstone park bison found near Mammoth

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. – The National Park Service says it found some of the 52 bison that escaped from holding pens in Yellowstone National Park after someone cut the fence.

The bison were found in the Mammoth Hot Springs area on the northern end of the park. However, the Park Service says no effort will be made to recapture the bison unless they return to the holding facility.

Park staff discovered Tuesday that 52 bison had escaped the Stephens Creek facility near Gardiner, Montana, when someone cut the fence.

The bison were being isolated to assure they were free of brucellosis, a disease that can cause livestock to miscarry. Bison confirmed to be free of the disease were eventually to be set free on tribal land.

The Park Service has opened a criminal investigation.