Beyond Minnesota: Rare white buffalo calf reported in Yellowstone

Helena, Mont. (AP) — The reported birth of a rare white buffalo in Yellowstone National Park fulfills a Lakota prophecy that portends better times, according to members of the American Indian tribe.

The birth of the calf comes after a severe winter in 2023 drove thousands of Yellowstone buffalo to lower elevations. More than 1,500 were killed, sent to slaughter, or transferred to tribes seeking to reclaim stewardship over an animal their ancestors lived alongside for millennia.

Erin Braaten, of Kalispell, took several photos of the calf shortly after it was born June 4 in the Lamar Valley in the northeastern corner of the park. Her family was visiting the park when she spotted “something really white” among a herd of bison across the Lamar River.

Traffic ended up stopping while bison crossed the road, so Braaten stuck her camera out a window to take a closer look with her telephoto lens.

“I look and it’s this white bison calf. And I was just totally, totally floored,” she said.

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New York

NYC Bird Group Drops Audubon Name

New York — The environmental group known as NYC Audubon has changed its name to NYC Bird Alliance to distance itself from the pro-slavery views of ornithologist and illustrator John James Audubon, the organization announced.

The name change, which was formalized by a June 5 membership vote, follows similar moves by Audubon Society chapters in Chicago, Seattle, Portland, Ore., and other cities.

“Names may be symbolic, but symbols matter,” said Jessica Wilson, NYC Bird Alliance’s executive director.

The newly named NYC Bird Alliance formed in 1979 and calls itself an independent chapter affiliated with the National Audubon Society, whose board voted last year to keep the Audubon name.

Audubon, who lived from 1785 to 1851, is known for documenting birds and illustrating them for his master work, “The Birds of America.”

Delaware

Delta: Kudos to Sunday Waterfowling Law Change

Bismarck, N.D. — Waterfowl hunters in Delaware recently received a boost in opportunity when Gov. John Carney signed House Bill 271 into law on May 30. The new law repeals the decades-old prohibition of hunting waterfowl and other game birds on Sundays in Delaware.

As a result, hunters will now be able to hunt both days of the weekend, which for many working people and students essentially doubles the number of days they have available to hunt waterfowl.

Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control maintains authority to establish and regulate season dates, bag limits, and enforcement for the hunting of game birds. Now, the DNREC has the authority to allow Sunday hunting for waterfowl and game birds. Previously, a prohibition on Sunday hunting for deer was relaxed in 2016 and lifted entirely in 2018.

— Delta Waterfowl Report