Bison born at South Park Buffalo Preserve
South Park Buffalo Preserve welcomed a new addition to the herd last month.
Rosie, the second oldest female bison at the preserve, gave birth to baby Denali at the end of March.
Tim Foster, of Friends of the South Park Buffalo Preserve, said Rosie was watched closely during the weeks leading up to the birth.
“We could tell it was coming,” he said. “There’s a certain stillness that settles in, a quiet knowing, and Rosie had been carrying it with her.”
Denali is Rosie’s fourth offspring. The birth brings the number of bison at the preserve to 13.
In typical fashion for a mother about to give birth, Rosie separated herself from the rest of the buffalo family just enough to have a quiet space to welcome the new life into the world.
“This herd is such a tight-knit family group that the others would normally stay with the mother,” Foster said. “Rosie attempts to walk the birth into happening. The buffalo were all up top in the grassy area and she came down by the feeders and that’s where she had the baby.”
Foster said the baby was a little shaky at first but found its footing quickly.
Big Head, the lone male of the herd, appeared to be proud following the birth. He continues to be a supportive papa to all of them, Foster said.
“He’s still a good boy,” Foster said. “He has come down to every feeding in the last six months. He always comes 10 to 15 minutes late. That’s his time. He walks down very deliberately, but he always comes down.”
Baby bison tend to be born from late March through May and are orange-red in color, earning them the nickname “red dogs.” After a few months, their hair starts to change to dark brown and their characteristic shoulder hump and horns start to grow.
Bison have roamed South Park since 1927, when an Allegheny County commissioner purchased 18 and brought them to the area amid fear of extinction. They have been a staple of the area since. The American bison is the largest land animal in North America.
The sex of the newborn has not yet been determined. That determination will be made by a veterinarian.
The name “Denali” means “The High One” or “The Great One” and is in keeping with a recent pattern of naming the newborn bison in honor of Native Americans.
“I thought this was fitting for Denali,” Foster said. “It seemed to describe mom and dad and their offspring Denali.”
Foster said the name speaks to quiet strength, steady presence and something that grows into its greatness over time.
“Because that’s exactly what we witnessed,” he said.