The six bison who have been on the run from Klondike Bison and Bee for the past 10 days were euthanized today, April 14. Five of them were killed because they were found too close to Hwy. 67.
Peggy Ladd, owner of the farm south of De Soto, said five of the bison – Ironman, Inspector Gadget, Ishmael, Inky and Iota – had found their way to Berry Road and Y Cutoff Road in St. Francois County near the Jefferson County border less than a mile from Hwy. 67. So, it was decided they needed to be euthanized to prevent them from ending up on the highway and endangering people.
They were shot and killed
Ladd said she didn’t make the call to put down the animals.
“I couldn’t,” she said.
But Ladd said she understands why it needed to be done.
“The public is now safe, and we don’t have to worry about where they are next week,” she said.
Ladd said her number one rule is keeping people safe followed by keeping her animals safe.
“It’s always people first,” she said.
Ladd said the bison didn’t hurt anyone while they were on the loose and they traveled mostly at night. She said one problem, though, was some people, possibly teens, were looking for them and it caused a frenzy.
She said one of the bison, Illini, got separated from the other five on Wednesday, April 12, and initially she feared he had been poached or fallen into a mining hole. This morning, though, Illini returned to a field where the bison had previously taken refuge, and Ladd hoped the others would join him there.
Ladd said Illini became very nervous and agitated, though, and was the first to be put down today.
She said all of the bison were shot very quickly and humanely.
“They probably had a really good last meal,” she added.
The bison wandered off her property on April 5 after a tree limb fell during a storm and downed fence, allowing the animals to escape.
She said after that she was warned that there was a strong possibility the bison would have to be put down, but she came up with all kinds of plans to try to capture the animals so she could return them to her farm, but the animals kept moving.
Ladd said she learned three days ago that the bison weren’t just walking through open gates and over downed fences but had begun jumping fences.
“They learned some really bad habits,” she said.
Ladd said once they learned to jump fences, there was no way to contain them without corrals.
She said Ironman was the first bison calf born on her farm. He was born in 2020.
The other five were purchased the next year when they were 1 year old.
Ladd said she is devastated by the loss of her bison.
She said it’s a financial loss, as well.
Ladd has about 30 other bison at her farm. She also raises bees.
The bison are processed for meat, she said.
Tours of her farm also are offered.
Ladd said there has been one bright spot since her bison got loose.
“The good news is I’ve met a lot of wonderful people (who were trying to help),” she said. “For the most part, people have been fabulous.”
Ladd said she was looking forward to sleeping in her own bed and hopefully getting eight hours of sleep.