A rare event took place in Yellowstone National Park last week, as a white bison calf was born. This birth holds significant cultural importance for Native American communities, and has been reported by various sources including Erin Braaten, an outdoor photographer who captured the moment of the birth. The Lakota Sioux tribe will hold a ceremony to celebrate this event at the Buffalo Field Campaign headquarters in West Yellowstone on June 26.
According to traditions passed down through generations, the birth of a white bison calf with black nose, eyes and hooves is considered akin to the second coming of Jesus Christ for the Lakota. However, it also serves as a warning that more must be done to protect the earth and its animals.
Despite its cultural significance, white bison calves are extremely rare. In addition to this birth in Yellowstone National Park, there have been reports of two other all-white newborn bison calves in the last month at a Central Texas ranch and a Wyoming state park.
The birth of this calf comes after a severe winter in 2023 drove thousands of Yellowstone buffalo, also known as bison, to lower elevations. More than 1,500 were killed or removed under an agreement between federal and Montana agencies that limits the size of the park's herds to about 5,000 animals.
About 80 tribes across the U.S. have more than 20,000 bison in their communities.
Erin Braaten was traveling in Yellowstone National Park last Tuesday when she captured the moment of the birth. She told an ABC News affiliate that she couldn't believe what she was seeing and knew it was something special.
The Lakota Sioux tribe will hold a ceremony to celebrate this rare event, while also acknowledging the need for greater efforts to protect bison and other animals in their natural habitats.
