The two young female bison, as yet unnamed, arrived at Maymont this week. (Photo courtesy Maymont)
Maymont welcomed two young female bison to the estate’s bison habitat Oct. 19. Each heifer weights over 600 pounds, and they are 16 and 17 months old. The bison came to Maymont from SB Farms Inc., a bison ranch on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Their official names have not been selected yet.
“We are excited to welcome two new bison at Maymont,” says Henry “Buz” Bireline, Maymont's director of habitats and the Nature Center. “Observing and learning about these animals helps guests connect with both native wildlife and Virginia history.”
The new arrivals were brought in to join Maymont’s other bison, Snoopy, a 15-year-old female. After the August death of her 25-year-old bison companion, Maude, Snoopy had been in the habitat alone. Maymont animal care staff acted as quickly as possible to locate new bison to join Snoopy, because bison are herd animals that typically stay in groups. To keep Snoopy stimulated while she was in the habitat alone, animal keepers provided activities and training sessions for her.
The new arrivals join Snoopy, Maymont's 15-year-old bison, in the habitat. (Photo courtesy Maymont)
Bison are the largest land animal found in North America and can weigh up to 2,000 pounds. Despite their enormous size, they are quick and can run at speeds up to 35 miles per hour. They grow large fur coats in the fall to protect themselves from freezing temperatures, and in the spring, they shed their winter coat in clumpy patches. Bison typically live 15 to 20 years in the wild and 40 years in captivity.
A few hundred years ago, bison used to roam most of North America, including Virginia. Virginia is thought to have had more bison than any other Atlantic state during the 1700s. The number of bison drastically declined in the 1800s, mostly due to overhunting. Bison were easy to hunt and valuable to use for clothing and shelter, tools and meat. Currently, 500,000 bison can be found in North America; the majority live on farms and ranches. Only about 5,000 roam in the wild, primarily in Yellowstone National Park.
“Many people don’t realize that small groups of bison were formerly native to the Commonwealth. Now extinct in the wild in Virginia, these ambassadors remind us how important it is to protect and care for wildlife and wild places,” Bireline says.
Bison became the national mammal of the United States in May 2016 when the National Bison Legacy Act was signed into law.
Virginia is thought to have had more bison than any other Atlantic state during the 1700s. (Photo courtesy Maymont)
