Fermilab welcomes first baby bison of spring

Only a cute and fuzzy baby bison could steal some of the spotlight from Fermilab’s particle physicists.

Those researchers are studying the elusive building blocks of the universe at the U.S. Department of Energy lab in Batavia. But playful baby bison are known for bursts of jumping. How adorable is that?

The newborn is the first to arrive this spring, kicking off -- pun intended -- calving season.

All kinds of dignitaries gathered at Fermilab Thursday to celebrate the opening of two new research buildings and the groundbreaking of the 800,000-square-foot Linac Complex. When complete, a particle accelerator the length of about two football fields will propel particles to 84% of the speed of light.

Not to be overlooked, the calf came into the world the same day as the construction milestone. The little one has since found its footing close to a protective mother.

Fermilab now has 40 of our national mammals -- 24 cows, two bulls, 13 yearlings and the baby -- roaming in their stretch of pasture on the laboratory grounds, a campus dotted with futuristic buildings and metal sculptures.

While that may seem like an odd coupling, Fermilab’s first director, Robert Wilson, established the bison herd back in 1969 as a symbol of the Midwestern prairie and the heritage of the site.

More than 50 years later, the herd has a devoted following, especially in the spring. Most of the bison are descendants of the original herd, though the bulls are rotated to keep the herd healthy and genetically diverse.

Cleo Garcia, Fermilab’s bison herdsman, expects at least 22 calves will be born during this year’s calving season. Garcia recommends visiting Fermilab’s public areas multiple times throughout the season to see the color of their fur darken from light cinnamon to a deeper brown.

“They play sometimes,” Garcia said in a birth announcement Friday. “You see them running around and start jumping, especially after nursing.”

The prairie giants are surprisingly nimble. Bison can jump up to 6 feet vertically, according to the Forest Preserve District of Will County.

Calving season tends to run through July, sometimes longer. The final calf of last year’s season was born in September. Fermilab’s main entrance is located at Kirk Road and Pine Street in Batavia.

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