Buffalo Rock’s bison may soon get friend from Midewin herd

Buffalo Rock State Park may be getting a new bison around the first week of November.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to get an additional bison at Buffalo Rock to serve as a companion to Pebbles, the 14-year-old resident bison of the park.

Holly, the 20-year-old matriarch bison at the park, had an illness and was euthanized Sept. 5. Holly had lived at the park since 2005 and gave birth to Pebbles in April of that year.

“We are seeking a 2-year-old female to reside with our 14-year-old, Pebbles, at the park,” said Daniel Bell, site superintendent for the Illinois & Michigan Canal State Trail in Morris. “It is anticipated that the bison will come from the herd located at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie near Wilmington. We expect to transport the bison to Buffalo Rock around the first week of November.”

Bison were reintroduced to Midewin in October 2015. The Midewin bison herd is a small conservation herd that was introduced as a 20-year experiment in restoring the landscape to native tallgrass prairie.

The bison at Midewin roam on 1,200 acres of the grounds. The bison at Buffalo Rock live within a fenced area of the park.