Yellowstone National Park staff euthanized a newborn bison calf that was separated from its herd and subsequently interacted with and was disturbed by a human visitor.

On Saturday, the newborn calf got separated from its herd as the throng crossed the Lamar River near its confluence with Soda Butte Creek in Wyoming. The struggling calf and its mother were calling to each other at the time.

The struggling calf was then approached by a man in his 40s to 50s.

“The calf was shivering and noticeably stressed,” witness Carrie Paulson told the Cowboy State Daily newspaper.

The man decided to intervene, thinking the calf was otherwise doomed, even though most attempts by newborn calves to cross such waterways succeed.

The man pushed the calf up away from the creek and onto a roadway. The newborn bison, however, imprinted on its surroundings due to the disturbance and was seen following cars and people along the roadway.

This interference by humans and continued separation led the herd to reject the calf when park rangers tried to reintroduce it to its natural population.

Since it was rejected, and since it posed a safety hazard by trying to go into the road to interact further with humans, rangers euthanized the calf.

“It can be difficult to watch nature take its course, especially when young animals are involved and human actions may have influenced the outcome. However, each year animals have more offspring than can possibly survive. The death of some animals is a necessary part of sustaining our populations,” Yellowstone officials noted, explaining why rangers do not rescue animals.

Park regulations require human visitors to stay at least 75 feet away from bison, elk and deer and 300 feet away from bears and wolves. The tourist involved could face charges of disturbing wildlife, approaching wildlife and disorderly conduct, misdemeanors carrying a maximum sentence of six months in jail and a $5,000 fine.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.