x
Breaking News
More () »

A northeastern Illinois preserve welcomes five American bison calves

For the first time, a national grassland preserve in northeastern Illinois has added to its bison herd through newborns — and not just one or two.
Bison calf photo from Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie FB page

WILMINGTON, Ill. (AP) — For the first time, a national grassland preserve in northeastern Illinois has added to its bison herd through newborns — and not just one or two.

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie announced that five American bison were born Saturday at the 19,000-acre preserve.

“We are proud to be a part of bringing these iconic animals to their natural environment in Illinois and appreciative of the partnerships that made this possible,” said Mary Mitsos, interim NFF president.

The Daily Journal in Kankakee reports that the preserve says the public is welcome to try to view the bison, though the size of the land they roam could make that difficult. Binoculars are recommended.

Midewin added its first bison in October. In all, four bulls and 23 cows were brought to the preserve. It is just outside Wilmington, about 14 miles south of Joliet.

The first wild bison birth in Illinois in about 200 years happened last year at the Nature Conservancy’s Nachusa Grasslands area near Dixon.

Before You Leave, Check This Out