The birth of an animal is always a very special moment, especially when there are a lot of people who are looking forward to it.
For caretakers of a nature park, for example, pregnancies are extremely exciting moments.
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In this particular case at the Dogwood Canyon Nature Park in the Ozark Mountains, Missouri, an animal birth was also an extremely special one.
Visitors can now find a white American bison running around the beautiful place, which is definitely a unique sight to behold.
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There are a lot of beliefs regarding the white bison.
To Native Americans, the birth of a white bison actually signifies a coming of peace and fortune for the world. The managers of the Dogwood Canyon park decided to name him Takoda, which is a reference to the word in Sioux.
It roughly translates to “friend to anyone”, and it certainly looks like this animal is making friends with the rest of the bison population quite wonderfully.
In an interview with Prevention Magazine’s wildlife director, Jeremy Hinkle explains why the birth of a white bison is seen as so special and unique.
“[The birth] was once an exceptionally rare occurrence, with some estimates stating that only one in 10,000,000 bison were born white,” he explained.
Legend proclaims that there was a ‘White Buffalo Woman’ who appeared more than two millennia ago to the Lakota people, and the Buffalo Woman able to shapeshift into a white buffalo before she disappeared.
The woman also promised that she’d one day return and bring with her a transformation to Earth that would provide both wisdom and peace.
Therefore, the white bison is seen as a sacred animal.
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In the past few decades, however, the occurrence of white bison hasn’t been that rare because of selective breeding.
“The phenomenon is becoming more common due to crossbreeding with cattle as a result of attempts by ranchers to save the species from extinction after original populations plummeted to only a few hundred between 1830 and 1900,” the park director added.
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Still, the birth of a white bison is nothing short of a spectacular and often once-in-a-lifetime moment.
Scientists estimate that there are around three hundred thousand bison roaming the entire United States, but there would only be around fifty of those that have white fur. Sometimes, they are also mixed with cattle, but that isn’t the case with Takoda. He’s one hundred percent bison.
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“Welcoming a remarkable white bison like this to Dogwood Canyon Nature Park allows us to expand on the important message that Native Americans live out an unwavering conservation ethic,” said Bob Ziehmer, Senior Director of Conservation for Bass Pro Shops. “Their wisdom and understanding about the vital balance between land and people inspires our core conservation principals, even today.”
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Anyone who wants to see this amazing white bison in person can do so at the park. You can even get on a two-hour ride tour to check out almost the entire canyon and nature park, and you’ll most definitely spot Takoda over there.
Learn more in the video below!
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