Fermilab Welcomes First Baby Bison Of The Year

BATAVIA, IL— It's baby bison season at Fermilab. The lab known for cutting-edge particle physics research welcomed its first bison calf of the year on Monday.

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, or Fermilab, is a Department of Energy national laboratory that houses powerful accelerators it uses to conduct high-energy physics experiments. In addition to experiments on dark matter, the lab helps maintain a wildlife sanctuary located on the property.

Fermilab has had American bison on the grounds since 1969, when former Director Robert Wilson established the herd to work on conserving the bison genome.

Bison almost went extinct in the 19th century as a result of gene mixing with cows — the result of selective breeding to create a more tame species. Genetic testing reveals the lab's bison are free of cattle genes — descendants of the wild bison that originally walked the prairie.

The lab said in a statement it expects about 16 to 18 calves to be born this spring. The herd is kind of a girls club, with 30 female bison and two male bison that are switched out occasionally to ensure the herd stays genetically diverse.

The grounds are currently closed to the public, but photos of the bison herd and other information on the lab's wildlife can be found here.