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Captive Animal Program, Bear River State Park
Captive Animal Program
Bear River State Park
Elk
Elk have called Bear River State Park home since April 1, 1995. Two bull calves were brought down from Kendrick Park in Sheridan, Wyoming. The two original elk died of natural causes in 2007 and 2015. The original elk are on display at the Visitor Center. Since the two original bulls passed away, we have worked with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to continue to keep captive elk on the park. The current elk were brought from the Pinedale, Wyoming area.
To lessen fighting, and to eliminate the potential for offspring, we only keep bulls in the park.
Are These Bison or Buffalo?
Those are bison. All of the native “buffalo” are actually bison. True buffalo are native to Africa and India, such as the Cape Buffalo and Water Buffalo. When European settlers first encountered the bison, they were very similar in appearance to the buffalo, hence why they are called buffalo. The bison has a long shoulder hump and massive head, which are lacking in true buffalo. The horns also are different. Bison have horns similar to a typical cow horn, while buffalo have huge, sweeping arcs.
Elk Facts
- Mammal
- Herbivore
- Average life span of 8 to 12 years
- Weight: 325 to 1,100 pounds
- Stand 4 to 5 feet tall at the shoulder
- Normally give birth to a single calf
- Split into six subspecies: Rocky Mountain, Roosevelt’s, Tule, Manitoban, Merriam’s (extnct), and Eastern (extinct)
- Antlers are shed and regrown yearly
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Bison Facts
- Mammal
- Herbivore
- Average life span of 12 to 20 years
- Weight: 900 to 2,200 pounds
- Stand 5 to 6 ½ feet tall at the shoulder
- Normally give birth to a single calf
- An estimated 30 – 60 million once roamed North America
- North America’s largest land animal
- The hump is composed of muscle. This allows them to use their head to plow snow away from food in winter.
Bison
Bear River State Park has been home to a bison herd since the park first opened in the early 1990s. Our herd consists of a mixed-age group of females, or cows, and at least one male, or bull. Due to the limited amount of pasture we have available, we try to limit our herd at 7 to 10 adult animals.
Generally beginning in April, our cows will start calving. We keep the calves at Berar River State Park until they are old enough to care for themselves. The bison are rotated through two pastures to allow the grass to rest and regrow and better utilize the available forage. Typically, we move the bison to the east pasture in mid- to late-May, and then return them to the lower north pasture in late August.
Around the beginning of winter, we move our calves to Hot Springs State Park in Thermopolis, where they are included in the annual State Parks Bison Sale. The money raised from the sale of our calves is put back into the Captive Animal Program to help purchase winter feed/hay, cover vet costs and maintain fencing.
Enjoy the Park
Bear River State Park offers ideal areas for picnicking, hiking, wildlife viewing, group activities, bicycling, skiing, rollerblading, remote control cars and many other activities. The parking is for day use only; no overnight camping is allowed.
Remember
Bison and elk are wild animals and can be aggressive. They are unpredictable and may become aggravated when dogs are near or when they have young calves. Please respect their territory.
Bear River State Park is located on the eastern edge of Evanston, just off I-80 at Exit 6.
307-789-6547 * wyoparks.org
