March 29, 2024

It's a boy!

Refuge welcomes first bison calf of the season

PRAIRIE CITY — From the 14-inch curved horns to its up to 2,000 pound body, seeing an American bison firsthand is no doubt an intimidating sight.

But if you head to Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge this spring, you may notice a handful of bison that appear a little more clumsy, a little smaller and 20-times cuter than the typical four-legged beast.

The folks at the refuge said it is official – the bison calves are here.

“The calves like to play. They will just jump around and chase each other,” Karen Viste-Sparkman, refuge biologist said. “I like to see them play and interact with each other.”

According to Viste-Sparkman, they observed their first baby bison of the season early April. She said shortly after posting a photo of the young bull April 12, he has capturing the hearts of not only the NSNWR staff and volunteers, but bison-lovers from across the state.

“We routinely check them every week or so. So I went out to check. I had a couple of interns with me and I told them, ‘Oh, I wonder if there will be any calves’ and there he was. It was actually one of my interns who spotted it first,” the biologist said. “The next day, someone said they already saw two calves.”

The first-born calf has already made a lasting impression on Jasper County, receiving name suggestions such as Gary and Cinnamon on Facebook. Despite his prominent mark on our social media feeds, the refuge biologist said it is nearly impossible to distinguish the Facebook star from the other seven baby calves observed this spring.

“We don’t name them. Honestly, I couldn’t tell them a part,” she said. “We don’t really have a reason to give them names ... but they are pretty cute.”

Viste-Sparkman said the refuge typically sees 10 to 15 calves a year, with about an even split between males and females. She said the refuge staff expects to see a few more born before the annual Bison Roundup in October.

“It is hard to tell when a bison is pregnant because they are so big already. It is not as noticeable,” the refuge biologist said. “Some years, we have a few stragglers. Last year, we had a calf in November. There could be a few later, but most of them are born April through June.”

The biologist said the calves born this year will stay at the refuge for one year. After the results come in for their genetic testing, the officials may decide to send out a few of the new bison to a Native American tribe or another conservation facility in the fall.

“We try to manage the genetics of the herd. We look at which ones are related to prevent in-breeding,” she said. “We try to keep the herd the same level. We had a few die this year. We could be keeping four or five of last year’s calves, or ship out more of them and get bison from other locations.”

Last year, the refuge had 12 calves born, with all reaching adulthood. She said while the animals do not receive any sort of medical treatment due to refuge policy, the bison calves typically reach maturity due to the lack of predators.

She said she expects similar results with this season’s group.

“We have pretty good success unless something happens, like if they get injured or sick,” Viste-Sparkman said. “We haven’t had too many calf mortality. The bison that die are usually males who are fighting or they get some kind injury or infection. The calves are usually pretty healthy.”

She said with the addition of the warm weather and more colorful spring scenery, the refuge typically sees an increase of attendance during bison calf season.

Viste-Sparkman said the calves can be typically seen near their mothers northwest of the visitors center.

As the baby bison typically are weened at 6-months-old at a weight of about 400 pounds, visitors who wish to check out the calves before they become shaggy beast are advised to make multiple trips to the refuge in the upcoming days.

“Sometimes you see them. Sometimes you don’t. Generally when it gets warmer, they are moving around a little more early in the morning or late in the evening, when it is a little cooler,” the biologist said. “People usually see them, but sometimes you see don’t. So just try again.”

And if you get a chance to see them in person, Viste-Sparkman said be ready for a cuteness overload.

The refuge will celebrate the largest extant land animal in the Americas August 4 for Bison Day.

For more information about the refuge, call 515-994-3400, visit fws.gov/refuge/neal_smith/ or find Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge on Facebook.

Contact Anthony Victor Reyes at areyes@jaspercountytribunes.com