What a miserable existence this must be: some 100 bison, quarantined for upwards of four years after being separated from their Yellowstone National Park herds because of brucellosis, are still in search of a home after some four years in captivity.

We're not alleging or suggesting the bison have been mistreated in any way; as a matter of fact we suspect they've been treated and fed well. The larger issue is the propriety of confining an animal like the American bison to a relatively small space. This is a creature, after all, used to roaming over a huge expanse of land. And we're guessing government shackles, no matter how velvety they are, are still rather confining. Still, the bison are still alive.

Some potential new homes for the bison include a ranch owned by Ted Turner; American Indian tribal land at Fort Belknap; and several zoos across the country.

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