BOZEMAN, MT — The Pendleton, Oregon, man who made national headlines after he was filmed drunkenly harassing a bison at Yellowstone National Park in late July was sentenced in a federal court Thursday to 130 days in jail. Raymond Reinke was charged with harassing wildlife, interfering with law enforcement and disorderly conduct. He will reportedly get credit for 21 days already served.
A self-described alcoholic, Reinke, 55, had several run-ins with national park police in the days leading up to the now-infamous viral video of Reinke taunting and harassing a massive bison while both stood in traffic. Previous incidents include violations for carrying an open container and public intoxication.
Reinke originally pleaded not guilty to five misdemeanor charges, according to a report from ABC Fox Montana; however, Reinke changed his plea after the court offered to take one of the charges off the table.
Standing before a federal judge Thursday, Reinke offered an apology for his behavior — to the bison.
“I’m sorry to the buffalo,” Reinke told the court. “He didn’t deserve what I did to him. I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean to hurt that buffalo.”
“You chased and hounded the bison,” Judge Mark Carman said in his response. “You’re lucky the bison didn’t take care of it, and you’re standing in front of me.”
Reinke’s treatment of the bison was described as the most egregious case of animal harassment seen by either the federal prosecutor or Judge Carman, ABC Fox Montana reported.
Following the completion of his jail sentence, Reinke will spend the next five years on unsupervised probation. During his probation, Reinke will not be allowed to consume drugs or alcohol, and he will not be allowed to enter Yellowstone, Glacier, and/or Grand Teton national parks.
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Image via YouTube, Inside Edition
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