Extremely rare, one-in-10-million white bison born in Wyoming state park

It’s always a special day when a new baby animal is born, but one recent birth is a truly unique event said to be a 1 in 10 million occurrence.

An extremely rare white bison was born earlier this month at Bear River State Park in Evanston, Wyoming. The baby’s mother, Wyoming Hope, is also a white bison.

According to the National Bison Association, white bisons are so rare that their birth is a one-in-ten-million occurrence, making this arrival very special.

The white bison is also a sacred symbol by the Lakota Sioux and other Plains tribes: the arrival of a white bison is considered a sacred event.

“To American Indians, a White Buffalo Calf is the most sacred living thing on earth,” the National Park Service wrote. “The calf is a sign to begin life’s sacred loop… The birth is sacred within the American Indian communities, because it brings a sense of hope and is a sign that good times are about to happen.”

The newborn’s sex is currently unknown: “We’re not sure if it’s a bull calf or a heifer calf,” park superintendent Tyfani Sager told Cowboy State Daily. “They’re real furry and it’s hard to tell right off the bat.”

The calf is said to be doing well, carefully watched over by its protective mom.

It’s the first birth of a white bison calf at Bear River State Park, which is home to 10 adult bison and five calves.

The park wrote on Facebook that the white bison calf does not have albinism, but “a result of a very small amount of cattle genetics mixed in.”

“Most of the bison you find anymore have some cattle genetics,” Sager told Cowboy State Daily. “They were nearly hunted to extinction by the late 1800s. People got concerned about extinction and cattle inbreeding was used. A white bison birth is still fairly rare.”