A rare white bison was born in a nature reserve in the USA

A rare white bison has been born in the Neil Smith National Wildlife Refuge in the city of Prairie City in the US state of Iowa. According to the estimates of the US National Park Service, the probability of the birth of an individual with this color is one case per 1 million. This was reported on May 8 by Popular Science magazine.

Scott Guillier, the reserve's manager, confirmed that this is the first time a rare white bison has been born at the facility. According to the publication, newborn calves usually have brown or reddish fur.

Currently, 81 bison live on the territory of the reserve with an area of more than 2.4 thousand hectares. Since the beginning of spring, nine calves have been born here by May 4, and experts expect several more in the coming weeks. On average, nine to 15 calves are born in the herd each year.

The bison itself is the largest land animal in North America. The weight of males reaches 900 kg, and females — about 450 kg. Due to years of conservation efforts, these animals are no longer considered endangered. Currently, there are about 30 thousand bison in North America, which live in public and private herds under the management of environmental organizations.

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