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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Sierra Cistone

The billionaire blocking off Montana’s wildlife: ‘Like fencing people out of Walmart’

Exclusion fencing stretches for miles on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana, disrupting the natural migration of elk. Rebecca Stumpf/The Guardian Photograph: Rebecca Stumpf/The Guardian

Almost immediately after their new billionaire neighbor put up miles of 5ft fences around his Montana ranch, complaints started coming in to the Blackfeet tribe.

In photos and videos captured by Blackfeet tribal members and reviewed by the Guardian, animals such as elk, deer, moose and grizzly bears can be seen struggling to navigate around or over the fences as they follow a historical migration path. Sometimes, they are trapped in corners of the fences, or wounded and limping after failed attempts to jump over the barriers. On numerous occasions, mother moose have been seen separated from their young.

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