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Rare Wild White Bison Born In Yellowstone, Photographer Gets Photos
Cowboy State Daily ^ | June 05, 2024 | Mark Heinz

Posted on 06/07/2024 7:08:59 AM PDT by Red Badger

This white bison calf was born Tuesday afternoon in Yellowstone National Park. (Courtesy Erin Braaten)

A rare white bison calf was born late Tuesday in Yellowstone National Park. A wildlife photographer originally thought it was a coyote until she looked back and saw the calf. "It was amazing," she said.

In a rare event, a white bison calf was born in Yellowstone National Park on Tuesday afternoon.

Park visitor and wildlife photographer Erin Braaten was there at just the right time to practically witness the calf’s birth in Yellowstone’s famed and wildlife-rich Lamar Valley.

“The afterbirth, the placenta was still there, and the calf was just standing up,” she told Cowboy State Daily during a telephone conversation Wednesday before she and her family headed back out of cellphone service.

Braaten is a wildlife enthusiast and photographer from Kalispell, Montana. She and her family visit Yellowstone two or three times a year, but she never dreamed she’d be lucky enough to see such a rarity as a white bison calf taking its first steps.

How Rare? Wild white bison calves are very rare, according to the National Bison Association.

A white bison calf was born in May 2023 at Bear River State Park near Evanston.

That calf, however, was white because of genetics from Charolais cattle, whereas the wild calf born in Yellowstone is likely a pure product of nature.

Cowboy State Daily reached out to the association and the National Park Service, which manages Yellowstone's wildlife, to confirm the rarity of the wild white bison in the park, but did not hear back before this story was posted.

‘I thought Maybe It Was A Coyote’ Braaten said that at about 4 p.m. on Tuesday, the day was going like a typical visit to Yellowstone, as she and her family drove in preparing for a camping trip.

Then she caught a glimpse of something that made the trip anything but typical.

“We were just driving along, and there were some bison crossing the road. I was looking back, and I saw what I thought maybe was a coyote,” she said.

But a closer look revealed a true wonder.

“We were totally surprised,” she said. “It was a white bison calf.”

A Sign Of Hope Braaten and her family stopped to admire the little calf and its mother. And she managed to get some photos from a safe, respectful distance.

“The calf was so tiny, it was amazing,” she said, adding that there was no way to determine whether it was a male or female.

She said that they planned to go back to the area later Wednesday to see if they could catch another look, and perhaps some more photos of the white calf.

Braaten said she has Native American heritage, and from what she understands, the birth of a white Bison calf has profound meaning. It’s a symbol of hope, and that was good to see given the current state of things in America.

“It’s a great blessing. It’s a good omen,” she said. “It means there could be a good change coming.”

Contact Mark Heinz at mark@cowboystatedaily.com



TOPICS: History; Outdoors; Pets/Animals; Religion
KEYWORDS:
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1 posted on 06/07/2024 7:08:59 AM PDT by Red Badger
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To: Red Badger

Well I guess, Ted Nugent predicted this.


2 posted on 06/07/2024 7:10:33 AM PDT by DallasBiff (Apology not accepted.la is not the sharpest knife in the drawer)
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To: Red Badger

Very cool 👍


3 posted on 06/07/2024 7:10:43 AM PDT by V_TWIN (America...so great even the people that hate it refuse to leave!)
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To: MeganC

FYI


4 posted on 06/07/2024 7:11:55 AM PDT by laplata (They want each crisis to take the greatest toll possible.)
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To: Red Badger
"The great white buffalo."


5 posted on 06/07/2024 7:12:03 AM PDT by wildcard_redneck (He who sacrifices freedom for security deserves neither.)
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To: Red Badger

Could this herald the resurgence of White America after decades of subjugation by leftists?


6 posted on 06/07/2024 7:14:22 AM PDT by nwrep
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To: wildcard_redneck

Ted Nugent - The Great White Buffalo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlAr3kUdBqI

(some adult language)


7 posted on 06/07/2024 7:15:09 AM PDT by Golden Eagle (Principles, not partisanship)
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To: Red Badger

Will some religious cult build a temple for it?


8 posted on 06/07/2024 7:20:56 AM PDT by odawg
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To: Red Badger

Well I must confess, I have never herd of the National Bison Association.


9 posted on 06/07/2024 7:23:02 AM PDT by Attention Surplus Disorder (The Democrat breadlines will be gluten-free. )
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To: All

Charles Bronson will take care of it


10 posted on 06/07/2024 7:23:52 AM PDT by escapefromboston (Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none.)
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To: Attention Surplus Disorder
Well I must confess, I have never herd of the National Bison Association.

Gotta admit, that had me Buffaloed too.

11 posted on 06/07/2024 7:26:00 AM PDT by N. Theknow (Kennedys-Can't drive, can't ski, can't fly, can't skipper a boat-But they know what's best for you.)
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To: Red Badger

Tourons can’t wait to get a selfie with this fuzzy cow


12 posted on 06/07/2024 7:27:44 AM PDT by bigbob
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To: Red Badger

It is a confirmed male or female? A pure male is important to many NA’s


13 posted on 06/07/2024 7:30:18 AM PDT by mad_as_he$$
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To: bigbob

The baby is a calf.


14 posted on 06/07/2024 7:31:20 AM PDT by laplata (They want each crisis to take the greatest toll possible.)
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To: mad_as_he$$

Unknown at this time.......................


15 posted on 06/07/2024 7:31:31 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: Red Badger

James Brown (not that James Brown)sang a song about The White Buffalo on Rin Tin Tin when I was a kid.


16 posted on 06/07/2024 7:32:20 AM PDT by mware
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To: Attention Surplus Disorder

https://bisoncentral.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Bison_Society


17 posted on 06/07/2024 7:32:56 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: Red Badger

LOL...Send the new guy to check!


18 posted on 06/07/2024 7:34:17 AM PDT by mad_as_he$$
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To: odawg

White bison prophecy

The White Bison Prophecy is a sacred and significant event in Native American culture, particularly among the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota tribes. According to the prophecy, a white bison calf will be born, signaling a time of great change and spiritual awakening.

—Brave AI

https://search.brave.com/search?q=white+bison+prophesy&summary=1&summary_og=2839f969d11e72074d1459


19 posted on 06/07/2024 7:37:42 AM PDT by packagingguy
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To: packagingguy

Thanks for posting that.


20 posted on 06/07/2024 7:38:45 AM PDT by laplata (They want each crisis to take the greatest toll possible.)
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