A Texas man faces charges of animal cruelty and theft in the slaughter of 32 bison on a Colorado ranch in March.

An arrest warrant was issued Thursday for Jeffrey Scott Hawn of Austin, who controls the ranch where the bison were shot.

An Austin listing for Hawn repeatedly rang busy yesterday and his Denver attorney, Steve Csajaghy, did not immediately return a call.

Csajaghy has said the bison were damaging Hawn's property and Hawn had no choice but to get rid of them.

Park County Sheriff Fred Wegener has said the bison had wandered off the property of their owner, Monte Downare, and onto Hawn's ranch.