Additional Coverage:
- Yellowstone officials: Rare white buffalo sacred to Native Americans not seen since June 4 birth (newsbreak.com)
Officials at Yellowstone National Park announced on Friday that a uniquely white buffalo, considered sacred by Native Americans, has been missing since its birth on June 4. This event, marking the first of its kind in Yellowstone’s history, aligns with a Lakota prophecy indicating the approach of better times and signifies a significant milestone in the conservation of buffalo.
The occurrence of a white buffalo being born is exceptionally rare, happening less than once in every one million births in the wild, according to park officials. The calf, which has been named Wakan Gli—in Lakota, “Return Sacred”—has an uncertain fate, with officials unable to confirm its survival.
The park noted that typically, about 20% of new calves do not survive past spring due to natural dangers, but they have refrained from speculating on Wakan Gli’s condition. Despite multiple initial reports and photographs from visitors, researchers, and professional guides, there have been no sightings of the calf since its birth day, and park personnel, including rangers in both the park’s accessible and remote regions, have not observed it.
This week, Native American leaders performed a ceremony to celebrate the white buffalo’s sacred birth and its profound cultural significance. The Lakota prophecy associated with the white buffalo not only symbolizes hope but also emphasizes the urgent need for environmental and wildlife conservation.
Concerns over the calf’s whereabouts have intensified, as no sightings have been reported since its birth in Lamar Valley, a location known for wildlife watching. The hazards facing young buffalo in the wild are numerous, ranging from predation to environmental factors.
Mike Mease, co-founder of the Buffalo Field Campaign, an organization dedicated to the protection of wild buffalo, remains hopeful that the calf is alive, potentially in less frequented areas of Yellowstone. He referenced a recent sighting of a grizzly bear with five cubs, which has also since gone unobserved, to suggest the wildlife’s penchant for seclusion.
Mease emphasized the spiritual and ecological significance of the white buffalo’s birth, stating that regardless of its physical state, the event carries a pivotal message from higher powers, urging humanity to adopt significant changes for a sustainable future.