2 American bison calves born at WA wildlife park

Two American bison calves were born within a week of each other at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park.

On May 8, a male calf named Torrent was born to mother Rainy, according to the park's blog. On May 13, a second calf was born to mother Cloudy.

No name yet for the second calf - I am told the mother is keeping the calf a little farther away from people, so they don't know the sex or personality yet," wrote park spokesperson Tessa Miller in an email.

Visitors are able to view the calves alongside the rest of the bison herd while on Keeper Adventure Tours, Wild Drives and Discovery Tram Tours, according to the park's blog. They'll be easy to spot with their orange coats and wobbly legs that distinguish them from the larger, darker adults.

Located in Eatonville, Pierce County, Northwest Trek Wildlife Park is a part of Parks Tacoma and has a 435-acre area that allows room for bison to roam.

Once numbering around 30 million, the population of wild American bison had dwindled to 325 by the 1880s due to overhunting, habitat loss and the targeted decimation of Native American tribes and culture, according to the National Park Service. Thanks to conservation efforts, today, about 20,000 wild bison roam the Great Plains and another 420,000 are raised as livestock.

Northwest Trek's bison are "pure-bred descendants from the herd at the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Bison Range in Montana, with six bison arriving in Western Washington in the 1970s, according to the park. It is now home to 20.

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