HANNA CITY, Ill. — There are two, four-legged beasts drawing people into a wildlife park near Peoria. It's just a day trip away, an hour and a half.
In the hills there outside of Hanna City, Illinois, bison roam through giant pastures.
But these days, there are some unique white spots in the fields. And it's not snow.
They're the newest additions at Wildlife Prairie Park. Two white bison.
"Their farm was going to be retiring so they needed to place their animals," Wildlife Director Adrienne Bauer explains.
The pair came from a farm where they were kept as pets. And that's why they'll spend their days together, away from the big herd, which is wilder.
To have one white bison is rare, two even more.
"So these two are actually leucistic, which means they're not quite an albino. Their pigment is diluted to where they're white or a blond coloration," Bauer says.
The chances of having a white bison are one in 10 million, according to the National Bison Association. And that's why these two are stirring up some attention.
"It's always fun to learn the personality of new animals. The male is definitely rambunctious," animal keeper Cassidy Hamilton says.
And that's Tatonka. He's three. His buddy Lakota is eight.
"I think they've been drawing a lot of people to the park which is great because we can make sure we can get more people in here and get people an opportunity to get outside," Hamilton says.
Wildlife Prairie Park has seen lots of people this year looking to get outside when many things indoors were canceled because of the coronavirus.
"This year has just been crazy for everyone and to be at a facility where we can welcome people to safely space out and come out and see these animals during this time is nice," Bauer says.
And Lakota and Tatonka have also gotten attention online. People donated a dollar to vote for their names back in November, raising about $10,000 for the park.
And now they have mini, stuffed animal versions of themselves for visitors to take home with them.
"It's great having them here, and it's going to be nice learning their personalities and seeing how they interact with us and each other over time," Bauer says.
Lakota and Tatonka are two bison making a new home for themselves out on the prairie.