The calf was born either Friday night or Saturday morning to Honey, Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Museum's resident buffalo.
By ROSELYNN YAZZIE
Sho-Ban News
FORT HALL — The Fort Hall Museum’s resident bison, Honey, welcomed a new baby calf over the weekend.
Lance Tissidimit, manager for the Shoshone-Bannock Agriculture Business Corp. Buffalo Department, said Honey is four-years-old. Just like her name, she is sweet in nature and so far, seems to be a good mother. It can be considered somewhat of a miracle she has given birth, considering her struggled past.
Honey was found abandoned as a calf; they often don't survive long without the care of their mothers. Fortunately, Alyson Houtz volunteered to care for her and was successfully able to nurse her back to health.
Tissidimit said Honey had some challenges ahead of her, because she was malnourished. To make things worse she was attacked by a pack of dogs, they took a chunk of her ears and chewed off her horns. Honey was a fighter and she made it through the winter, but they always knew she would be a smaller cow.
Lance Tissidimit, manager for the Shoshone-Bannock Agriculture Business Copr. Buffalo
Department.
The next year Honey continued to be nursed and still wanted for human affection. At two-years-old Honey was getting to be too big for her caretakers to handle and was moved down Bottoms to the corral.
When she was introduced to the other buffalo she didn't know what they were. She was scared of the other five, who were all her same size and around her age.
“She ran out there and she came running back and she hid behind us a couple of times,” recalled Tissidimit. They left her in the corral overnight and the next day she was excited to see them. It took her awhile to get used to being around the others.
Just a few days old, bull calf with his mother.
In the springtime was when Tissidimit began to figure she was pregnant, the length of a bison pregnancy is nine months.
The new calf is a male; the caretakers haven’t handled him too much so it’s unknown how much he weighs. They estimate he was born late Friday night or early Saturday morning. The bull calf is yet to be given a name.
Born so late in the season, the little calf may meet some challenges in the winter months, but Tissidimit said they would build a shelter for them. The two buffalo will remain at the museum until roundup time.
Honey is also known to the rest of the herd as a lead cow and has been helpful rounding the other buffalo up when needed. It’s good because it’s less stressful for all involved. Tissidimit said they’re hoping the bull calf will follow in his mama’s footsteps and also be used to herd as well.