You don’t have to wonder if this bison is happy about the snowfall at Yellowstone National Park… it’s very apparent this youngling loves the wintry weather.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for some snow. It’s been an unusually warm fall thus far, at least where I’m from (probably for you too), and I haven’t even really been able to break out the hoodies and sweatshirts just yet. So when the colder temperatures finally do hit, and snowflakes fall from the sky, I’ll likely respond a lot like this Yellowstone bison calf.
It’s a good thing bison are built for the cold, because they generally have to withstand a lot of it – especially when they call Yellowstone National Park home. Even when the brutal Wyoming winter shows its teeth, and temperatures dip down into the subzero range, bison are built to last. The 2,000 pound beasts can adapt to and overcome nearly any weather you throw at them.
They’ve even developed a unique way to graze when snow is on the ground, and that sets them apart from other animals that have to flee areas impacted by winter weather.
Bison also have wooly coats that play a critical role in keeping them warm (and alive) through the winter. Scientifically speaking, their fur creates such a strong layer of insulation that the snow that lands on their outer coat will not melt from the heat the bison’s skin gives off. That’s probably tough to wrap your head around… so it might be best to think of it as the world’s best, naturally-occurring, snow-proof jacket.
This time of the year is considered to be the beginning of winter time for Yellowstone National Park. The territory sees harsh winter conditions – and is often covered in snow – from the middle of October all the way to the early portions of May. It’s in the dead of the Yellowstone winter when bison appear to be frozen, and go viral. During the tough winter months, bison might not be as excited about snow… but when it first falls? That’s a different story.
This young calf was more than ready to celebrate the signifier that winter has arrived. The other bison nearby were taking the latest shift in weather a bit more calmly. But that didn’t stop the calf from zooming around and jumping for joy, and if that’s not a lesson to do what makes you happy, regardless of what others might think… I don’t know what is.
Wildlife photographer Michael Hodges was there to get it on camera, and had this to say about why the young bison was reacting in such an excited manner:
“When the first snow falls across the Montana landscape, watching a young bison calf burst into sudden ‘zoomies,’ kicking up its heels, spinning, and leaping through fresh powder, looks like pure joy. But that sudden burst of play is actually an instinctual response to the shifting season.
For a young bison experiencing cold powder for the first time, it triggers a surge of physical energy. This play behavior in young ungulates serves as critical physical conditioning, building muscle density, agility, and stamina right when the herd needs to transition into winter survival mode.”
