Yellowstone National Park officials announced on Friday that a rare white buffalo, considered sacred by Native Americans, has not been seen since its birth on June 4. The birth of this white buffalo, which fulfilled a Lakota prophecy signaling better times, marks a historic event as it is the first recorded instance in Yellowstone’s history. This rare occurrence happens once in every million births, or even less frequently, according to park officials.
The calf, named Wakan Gli, meaning “Return Sacred” in Lakota, has not been spotted since its birth. The park’s statement noted that approximately one in five buffalo calves die shortly after birth due to natural hazards each spring. However, officials did not directly address whether they believe the calf has died. The confirmation of the white buffalo’s birth came after receiving photos and reports from multiple park visitors, professional wildlife watchers, commercial guides, and researchers. Despite these initial sightings, park staff have not been able to locate the calf since June 4, and no other confirmed sightings have been reported.
Rangers who regularly patrol both accessible and backcountry areas of the park have not seen the animal, according to park spokesperson Morgan Warthin. Native American leaders held a ceremony earlier this week to honor the sacred birth and name the calf. Lakota members emphasize that the prophecy associated with the white buffalo’s birth also serves as a reminder that more efforts are needed to protect the earth and its animals.
As weeks have passed without another sighting, suspicion about the calf’s fate has grown. The calf was last seen in the Lamar Valley, a prime wildlife viewing area in Yellowstone. Young buffalo face numerous threats, including predators, river currents, illness, and other hazards. Mike Mease, co-founder of the Buffalo Field Campaign, a conservation group that collaborates with tribes to protect and honor wild buffalo, remains hopeful that the calf is alive somewhere in the park, away from the roads and walkways frequented by most visitors. He noted that a grizzly bear seen earlier this month with five cubs, an unusually large brood, has also not been seen since.
Mease emphasized that the most important aspect of the white buffalo’s birth is the fulfillment of a prophecy, which serves as both a warning and a blessing. “Whether it’s dead or alive, the message has been relayed from the heavens and times are different now. We have to make changes for the future,” he said.
The birth of the white buffalo comes after a severe winter in 2023, which drove thousands of Yellowstone buffalo to lower elevations. More than 1,500 were killed, sent to slaughter, or transferred to tribes seeking to reclaim stewardship over an animal their ancestors lived alongside for millennia. Erin Braaten of Kalispell captured several photos of the calf shortly after its birth in the Lamar Valley. Her family was visiting the park when she noticed “something really white” among a herd of bison across the Lamar River. Traffic stopped as bison crossed the road, allowing Braaten to take a closer look with her telephoto lens. “I look and it’s this white bison calf. And I was just totally, totally floored,” she said.
After the bison cleared the roadway, the Braatens parked and watched the calf and its mother for 30 to 45 minutes. “And then she kind of led it through the willows there,” Braaten said. Although she returned each of the next two days, she did not see the white calf again.
For the Lakota, the birth of a white buffalo calf with a black nose, eyes, and hooves is akin to the second coming of Jesus Christ, according to Chief Arvol Looking Horse, the spiritual leader of the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota Oyate in South Dakota. Lakota legend tells of White Buffalo Calf Woman, who appeared about 2,000 years ago during a time of hardship, presented a sacred pipe and bundle to a tribal member, and taught them how to pray. She promised that the pipe could be used to bring buffalo for food. As she left, she transformed into a white buffalo calf. “And some day when the times are hard again,” Looking Horse said, “I shall return and stand upon the earth as a white buffalo calf, black nose, black eyes, black hooves.”
A similar white buffalo calf was born in Wisconsin in 1994 and was named Miracle. Troy Heinert, executive director of the South Dakota-based InterTribal Buffalo Council, confirmed that the calf in Braaten’s photos appears to be a true white buffalo, as it has a black nose, black hooves, and dark eyes. An albino buffalo would have pink eyes. A naming ceremony has been held for the Yellowstone calf, though the name has not been revealed. A ceremony celebrating the calf’s birth is scheduled for June 26 at the Buffalo Field Campaign headquarters in West Yellowstone.
Other tribes also hold white buffalo in high regard. “Many tribes have their own story of why the white buffalo is so important,” Heinert said. “All stories go back to them being very sacred.” Heinert and several members of the Buffalo Field Campaign have never heard of a white buffalo being born in Yellowstone, which has wild herds. Park officials have no record of a white buffalo being born in the park previously.
Jim Matheson, executive director of the National Bison Association, noted that there is no historical tracking of white buffalo births, making it difficult to determine their frequency. Besides herds on public lands or overseen by conservation groups, about 80 tribes across the U.S. have more than 20,000 bison, a number that has been growing in recent years.
In Yellowstone and the surrounding area, the killing or removal of large numbers of bison occurs almost every winter under an agreement between federal and Montana agencies, which limits the park’s herds to about 5,000 animals. Yellowstone officials recently proposed a slightly larger population of up to 6,000 bison, with a final decision expected next month. However, ranchers in Montana have long opposed increasing the Yellowstone herds or transferring the animals to tribes. Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte has stated he would not support any management plan with a population target greater than 3,000 Yellowstone bison.
Heinert views the calf’s birth as a reminder “that we need to live in a good way and treat others with respect.” “I hope that calf is safe and gonna live its best life in Yellowstone National Park, exactly where it was designed to be,” Heinert said.
Source: Associated Press
