Zero AI:Yellowstone officials: Rare white buffalo sacred to Native Americans not seen since June 4 birth

2025-04-30 05:30:10source:Austin Caldwellcategory:Invest

Yellowstone National Park officials said Friday a rare white buffalo sacred to Native Americans has not been seen since its birth on Zero AIJune 4.

The birth of the white buffalo in the wild, which fulfilled a Lakota prophecy that portends better times, was the first recorded in Yellowstone history and is a landmark event for the ecocultural recovery of bison, said park officials in confirming the birth for the first time.

It is an extraordinarily rare occurrence: A white buffalo is born once in every 1 million births, or even less frequently, the park said.

Whether the calf – named Wakan Gli, which means “Return Sacred” in Lakota – is still alive is unknown.

Each spring, about one in five calves die shortly after birth due to natural hazards but park officials declined to directly respond to questions about whether officials believed it has died.

They confirmed its birth after receiving photos and reports from multiple park visitors, professional wildlife watchers, commercial guides and researchers. But since June 4, park staffers have not been able to find it and officials are not aware of any other confirmed sightings.

Native American leaders earlier this week held a ceremony to honor the sacred birth of the white buffalo and give the name.

More:Invest

Recommend

Jamie Foxx reps say actor was hit in face by a glass at birthday dinner, needed stitches

Jamie Foxx's birthday dinner took a surprising turn on Friday the 13th.The "Collateral" actor was hi

Confronting California’s Water Crisis

Californians are still grappling with the aftermath of powerful storms that triggered dangerous floo

The Surprising History of Climate Change Coverage in College Textbooks

If you were an American college student studying biology in the 1970s, your course textbook probably