Achi news desk-
Four baby bison have been living at Two Rivers Wildlife Park in Huntington, NS – along the Mira River – for about a week.
Wildlife Park staff say the animals are around nine months old.
“So we got them from a ranch down in Inverness,” explained animal assistant Michaela Hadway. “(They are) very scared so far. They’re young, and they’re in a new place and they went on a long journey, so they’re still recovering from that. But I have a lot of faith that they will soon discover that people have a lot of good treats to give them, and they will warm up.”
To be precise, the big, thick bovine is a plains bison. As the name suggests, one of the few places in North America to find them in the wild is Yellowstone National Park in the United States.
At Two Rivers, staff hope the bison will be a good attraction in the busier and warmer months.
“It’s always good to have something to fill the Wildlife Park a little more, right?” Hadway said: “Add something that will put us on the map, bring visitors in.”
Another member of staff, Robert Lanceve, was among those who brought the bison back from the ranch where they were raised.
Like almost everyone, this is the first time he has seen a bison in person – and he can only imagine how big they will be when they are fully grown.
“Probably 1,200-1,400 pounds, so they’re going to be pretty big”, Lanceve said.
The four bison haven’t been named yet, but some staff members – obviously country music fans – have taken to calling them Dolly, Reba, Loretta and Shania.
Whether those names stick or not, they’re animals already winning friends with their good nature.
“They are very gentle, fearsome giants and I look forward to looking after them,” Hadway said.
Hadway noted that bison in captivity usually live for 20 to 25 years, so the hope is that the animals will stay at Two Rivers Wildlife Park for a long time.
