Beyond Minnesota: Rare small white buffalo reported in Yellowstone

Helene, 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 Native American tribe.

The calf’s birth comes after a harsh winter in 2023 pushed thousands of Yellowstone’s buffalo to lower elevations. More than 1,500 of them were killed, sent to slaughter or transferred to tribes seeking to reclaim management of an animal their ancestors lived with for millennia.

Erin Braaten of Kalispell took several photos of the calf shortly after his birth on June 4 in Lamar Valley in the northeast corner of the park. Her family was visiting the park when they spotted “something really white” among a herd of bison across the Lamar River.

Traffic eventually stopped as the bison crossed the road, so Braaten took his camera out the window to take a closer look with his telephoto lens.

“I look and it’s this white buffalo calf. And I was totally, totally stunned,” 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 the 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 made official by a vote of members on June 5, follows similar actions taken by Audubon Society chapters in Chicago, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, and other cities.

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

The new NYC Bird Alliance formed in 1979 and considers itself an independent chapter affiliated with the National Audubon Society, whose board of directors voted last year to retain the Audubon name.

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

Delaware

Delta: Congratulations on waterfowl law change Sunday

Bismarck, ND — Delaware waterfowl hunters recently received an increased opportunity when Governor John Carney signed House Bill 271 into law on May 30. The new law repeals Delaware’s decades-old ban on hunting waterfowl and other game birds on Sundays.

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

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control retains the authority to establish and regulate season dates, bag limits, and enforcement for game bird hunting. Now, DNREC has the authority to authorize Sunday waterfowl and game bird hunting. Previously, the ban on Sunday deer hunting was relaxed in 2016 and completely lifted in 2018.

— Delta Waterfowl Report