Current:Home > InvestRounded up! South Dakota cowboys and cowgirls rustle up hundreds of bison in nation’s only roundup-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Rounded up! South Dakota cowboys and cowgirls rustle up hundreds of bison in nation’s only roundup
View Date:2024-12-23 23:16:57
South Dakota cowboys and cowgirls rounded up a herd of more than 1,500 bison Friday as part of an annual effort to maintain the health of the species, which has rebounded from near-extinction.
Visitors from across the world cheered from behind wire fencing as whooping horseback riders chased the thundering, wooly giants across hills and grasslands in Custer State Park. Bison and their calves stopped occassionally to graze on blond grass and roll on the ground, their sharp hooves stirring up dust clouds.
“How many times can you get this close to a buffalo herd?” said South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Secretary Kevin Robling, who was among 50 riders herding the animals. “You hear the grunts and the moans and (see) the calves coming and running alongside mamas.”
Custer State Park holds the nation’s only Buffalo Roundup once a year to check the health of the bison and vaccinate calves, park Superintendent Matt Snyder said.
As many as 60 million bison, sometimes called buffalo in the U.S., once roamed North America, moving in vast herds that were central to the culture and survival of numerous Native American groups.
They were driven to the brink of extinction more than a century ago when hunters, U.S. troops and tourists shot them by the thousands to feed a growing commercial market that used bison parts in machinery, fertilizer and clothing. By 1889, only a few hundred remained.
“Now, after more than a century of conservation efforts, there are more than 500,000 bison in the United States,” said South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a horseback rider who took part in the roundup. “The Custer State Park bison herd has contributed greatly to those efforts.”
The park’s herd began with 36 animals bought in 1914. A state ecologist estimated the park can currently sustain about 1,000 bison based on how snow and rain conditions affected the grasslands this past year, according to Snyder.
The other 500 or so will be auctioned off, and over the next week, officials will decide which bison will remain and which will go. About 400 calves are born in the park each year.
“Each year we sell some of these bison to intersperse their genetics with those of other herds to improve the health of the species’ population across the nation,” Noem said.
veryGood! (33586)
Related
- Nearly 80,000 pounds of Costco butter recalled for missing 'Contains Milk statement': FDA
- 6 killed in reported shootout between drug cartels in northern Mexico state of Zacatecas
- Why Sydney Sweeney's Wedding Planning With Fiancé Jonathan Davino Is on the Back Burner
- NJ man charged with decapitating his mother, sang 'Jesus Loves Me' during arrest: Police
- School workers accused of giving special needs student with digestive issue hot Takis, other abuse
- College Football Playoff ticket prices: Cost to see Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl highest in years
- Man allegedly involved in shootout that left him, 2 Philadelphia cops wounded now facing charges
- Juan Soto thrilled to be with New York Yankees, offers no hints on how long he'll be staying
- Bitcoin has topped $87,000 for a new record high. What to know about crypto’s post-election rally
- Congressional group demands probe into Beijing’s role in violence against protesters on US soil
Ranking
- Brianna LaPaglia Reacts to Rumors Dave Portnoy Paid Her $10 Million for a Zach Bryan Tell-All
- Here's What's Coming to Netflix in January 2024: Queer Eye, Mamma Mia! and More
- Stalled schools legislation advances in Pennsylvania as lawmakers try to move past budget feud
- Oprah Winfrey Reveals She's Using a Weight-Loss Medication
- Rachael Ray Details Getting Bashed Over Decision to Not Have Kids
- Orbán says Hungary will block EU membership negotiations for Ukraine at a crucial summit this week
- Alabama prison inmate dies after assault by fellow prisoner, corrections department says
- Somalia secures $4.5 billion debt relief deal with international creditors
Recommendation
-
Here's what 3 toys were inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame this year
-
How Tennessee's high-dosage tutoring is turning the tide on declining school test scores
-
Minnie Driver recalls being 'devastated' by Matt Damon breakup at 1998 Oscars
-
Apple now requires court orders in U.S. to access push notification data
-
Arizona Supreme Court declines emergency request to extend ballot ‘curing’ deadline
-
From chess to baseball, technology fuels 'never-ending arms race' in sports cheating
-
Fantasy football rankings for Week 15: Purdy, McCaffrey fueling playoff runs
-
Rare red-flanked bluetail bird spotted for the first time in the eastern US: See photos