Richmond, Va. (WRIC) — Two young female bison have arrived at Maymont to live in the estate’s bison habitat. The new arrivals join Maymont’s other bison, Snoopy, a 15-year-old
Richmond, Va. (WRIC) — Two young female bison have arrived at Maymont to live in the estate’s bison habitat. The new arrivals join Maymont’s other bison, Snoopy, a 15-year-old female who has been in the habitat alone since the August death of her elderly 25-year-old bison companion, Maude. Official names for the new bison have not yet been selected.
“Many people don’t realize that small groups of bison were formerly native to the Commonwealth,” said Henry “Buz” Bireline, Maymont Director of Habitats and the Nature Center. “Now extinct in the wild in Virginia, these ambassadors remind us how important it is to protect and care for wildlife and wild places.”
Maymont animal care staff acted as quickly as possible to locate additional bison to join Snoopy since bison are herd animals that typically stay in groups. While Snoopy was unaccompanied in the bison habitat, animal keepers provided extra enrichment activities and training sessions to keep her stimulated.
The American bison officially became the national mammal of the United States in May 2016 when the National Bison Legacy Act was signed into law. They are the largest mammals in North America, weig