The duo thought they were saving the calf from freezing to death in the cold, were the reason the calf ended up being euthanized by the park service. After efforts were made to reunite the calf with its family, the calf was rejected and could not be cared for by the park service. Additionally, a quarantine on brucellosis prevented the park service from transporting the calf out of the park to another facility.
The National Park Service released this statement, regarding the incident:
“Interference by people can cause mothers to reject their offspring … The bison calf was later euthanized because it was abandoned and causing a dangerous situation by continually approaching people and cars along the roadway.”
Take this as a hard earned lesson folks, don’t ever touch or pick up wildlife.
