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Officials with the Department of Livestock say two bull bison were shot and killed Tuesday night following hazing efforts near Yellowstone National Park.

According to DOL spokesman Steve Merritt, the incident happened near Yankee Jim Canyon, north of Gardiner around 10:30 p.m.

The animals had been darted and tranqualized to take part in a USDA brucellosis study. Merritt says the bulls woke up quite angry and charged the state livestock agents as they tried to turn them around back towards the park.

The hazing effort reportedly lasted several hours. Merritt says the agents shot the bison due to their inability to get the bulls moving in the right direction. He added that the agents were within their legal authority to use lethal force.

Each year, Montana livestock agents roundup Yellowstone National Park bison and push the migrating animals back toward the park to prevent them from coming into contact with cattle. On Tuesday, the hazing took place near Gardiner and West Yellowstone.

Many of Yellowstone's bison carry the disease brucellosis, although no known transmissions to cattle have been recorded in the wild. The disease can cause infected animals to abort their young.

Conservation groups including the Buffalo Field Campaign say the hazing is unnecessary because cattle have not yet returned to the area for spring grazing.