A wildlife guide at Yellowstone National Park spotted one of the first bison calves of the season last week. Andrea Baratte (@montanawild_) wrote in the video caption, “It was very snowy today, and we had a hard time finding bears and wolves, but were rewarded with the first bison calf of the season.”
The bison mating season occurs in the early fall, with calves being born typically in April and May. Baratte noted, “I have never seen one this early before.”
Kyle Moon (Moon Man Wildlife Photography) also got an early bison calf sighting in Lamar Valley, according to the Cowboy State Daily. Moon was reportedly headed to the park to look for owls when he spotted the days-old calf.
Moon also expressed surprise at spotting a calf this early. “We don’t start seeing red dogs until about mid to late April,” he told Cowboy State Daily. “This one is definitely on the early side of things, but it’s not impossible to see one this early. It can happen, but not often.”
About 80 percent of bison are born in the months of April and May because of something called “birth synchrony,” according to the park’s webpage. For bison, these months are called the “calving season.”
Scientists hypothesize multiple reasons for this synchrony, including food availability, herd protection and competitive natural selection. What’s clear, though, is that calves born ahead of the calving season often have a lower chance of survival on the plains.
If you’re planning a spring trip to Yellowstone, rest assured that you’ll see bison calves, colloquially referred to as “red dogs” for their size and coloring.
