Big baby! South Dakota celebrates birth of year’s first bison calf

CUSTER COUNTY, S.D. — At 71,000 acres, it’s the perfect place to get outside and enjoy nature while safely social distancing.

And now, Custer State Park in South Dakota has an adorable new addition. A mama bison just gave birth to a calf – the first of about 475 expected to be born at the park this year.

Custer’s program resource manager, Mark Hendrix, explained in a YouTube video the first bison came to the park in 1914, and the herd’s population has exploded since then.

He says peak calving season is usually in the beginning of May.

Park visitors are being asked to stay away from each other to promote social distancing – and to stay at least 100 yards away from the bison. Hendrix said the mothers are extremely protective, and at more than a thousand pounds, they can be incredibly dangerous.

You can see the baby bison and learn more about the herd at Custer State Park here:

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