EVANSTON, Wyo. — A new white bison calf is bringing people to a Wyoming state park, but the animal might not be as rare as some people think.
The albino bison is extremely rare, occurring in about one in every ten million births. It's considered a sacred symbol of renewal to the Lakota Sioux and other indigenous tribes.
But contrary to a rumor that spread online, the bison that's getting all the attention at Bear River State Park is a white bison, not an albino bison.
Park officials say the calf comes from one of two white heifers the park got about a year-and-a-half ago. It was born on May 16, the park said in a Facebook post.
The white bison get their white fur from generations of cross-breeding with a type of white cattle.