An incredibly rare white bison was born in Bear River State Park, Wyoming, on May 16, authorities told multiple outlets.
The 30-pound white bison calf is believed to be a one-in-10 million event, according to members of the National Bison Association who spoke to the Cowboy State Daily and other outlets. The currently unnamed calf is so young that rangers haven’t even been able to tell if it’s a bull or heifer.
“We’re not sure,” park superintendent Tyfani Sager told the outlet. “They’re real furry and it’s hard to tell right off the bat.”
The baby is not albino, but the result of cattle genetics that were mixed into bison DNA. “Most of the bison you find anymore have some cattle genetics,” Sager noted. “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.”
The park is home to 10 adult bison and 5 calves, with the new white calf being the first white bison born there. (RELATED: Authorities Kill Bison Calf At Yellowstone National Park, Appear To Blame Tourist)
The birth of a white buffalo is considered sacred by Lakota Sioux and many other tribes, according to the American Indian College Fund. Their birth is considered a sign of hope, an indication of positive times ahead and is equivalent to Christians seeing weeping statues.