Adorable and ultra rare 1 in 10 million white bison are born in Wyoming
- Bear River State Park staff noticed a “little white fluff” when the calf was born May 16 weighing just 30 pounds, which is half that of other newborns
- It was born to one of the park’s two white bison, which arrived in 2021, and is the first to be born there
- The sex of the calf is still unknown, because getting too close to the animal would stress the herd
A state park in Wyoming has beaten the odds to welcome the birth of an extremely rare white bison.
Bear River State Park staff noticed a “tiny white fluff” when the calf was born May 16 and weighed just 30 pounds, which is half that of other newborns.
It was born to one of the park’s two white bison, which arrived in 2021, and is the first born there.
The sex of the calf is still unknown, because getting too close to the animal would stress the herd.
White bison are incredibly rare in the US and are considered sacred by many Native American tribes.
A state park in Wyoming has beaten the odds to welcome the birth of an extremely rare white bison
Bear River State Park staff noticed a “little white fluff” when the calf was born May 16 weighing just 30 pounds, which is half that of other newborns
The calf was born around 7am and was awake and feeding within 15 minutes and is healthy despite its small weight.
It was born to a white buffalo named Wyoming Hope and the staff suspects the sire to be a bull named Snort.
Park superintendent Tyfani Sager said, “It was awake within 15 minutes of birth and suckling mama.”
She added that it sleeps, feeds and runs around in circles in a manner often seen in cats and dogs called the “zoomies.”
The white buffalo at Bear River contain DNA from Charolais cattle, which gives them their snow coat.
This feature is rare, but not as unusual as albino bison, as they occur in about one in 10 million births.
“Most of the bison you still find have some cattle genetics,” Sager told Cowboy State Daily.
‘They were almost wiped out by the end of the 19th century. People were concerned about extinction and animal husbandry was used. The birth of a white bison is still quite rare.’
White bison are incredibly rare in the US and are considered sacred by many Native American tribes
The white buffalo at Bear River contain DNA from Charolais cattle, which gives them their snow coat
A white buffalo calf is “the holiest living thing on earth,” according to the National Parks Service, for Native American tribes, including Sioux, Cherokee, Navajo, Lakota, and Dakota.
“Some American Indians say that the birth of a white calf is an omen, because the birth takes place in the most unexpected places and often among the poorest of the poor,” it reads.
“Birth is sacred in Native American communities because it gives a sense of hope and is a sign of good times ahead.”
Since the birth of the white buffalo, the number of visitors to the park has increased enormously.
It usually sees about 1,000 visitors a day, but this has increased by 30 percent as people try to catch a glimpse of the rare calf.