Where the buffalo (or bison) roam

It is rare that you get to see wild animals walking right in front of you, and it is even more special when you get to be a part of an operation that helps to keep them healthy.

When we first got to the Nature Center on the day of the Bison Roundup I will admit that I didn't necessarily understand why Daniel spoke so intensely about the process and talked about how it is our reward for working so hard. I was excited to be there and intrigued by the process, but I didn't understand the magnitude that this event.

As daniel went through all of the possible jobs we could have my heart began to pick up its pace, Coming into this I didn't have a grasp of how intense and possibly dangerous this Roundup could be. After job descriptions then Daniel continued by talking us through all of the possibilities of things that could go wrong–Sometimes the gates broke, sometimes the bison didn't go where he wanted them to, and sometimes Maverick, the big bull, could hook one of the cows and there could be blood.

All of these possibilities got my adrenaline pumping, but it wasn't until he started to mention the idea of if he was somehow incapacitated how the events would unfold that I understood the true magnitude of the task… and it wasn’t until I saw Daniel in the pen with the first bison that I understood the real danger he could be in if even the smallest thing went awry.

My anxiety was elevated, but the time waiting for the vet gave me a moment to settle down.

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I decided to challenge myself to get as involved as possible and joined the boys on the far side of the enclosure, to be in charge of shutting the initial gates and separating the bison.

As we waited, we talk through the process and we felt ready to go.

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When the vet got there we got to work quickly. Daniel went out in today for enclosure and began to round up the first group of bison.

Apparently, Daniel had some big expectations for all of us because he brought Maverick, the biggest and most aggressive bison, into the enclosure first. Maverick was accompanied by two cows and unfortunately, just like Daniel said was possible, Maverick proceeded to hook both of them by the time before he could be escorted off.

With Maverick already through it was only the two cows left to deal with. Daniel was focused on getting them into the cages, but we quickly close attention to the gut blood gushing out of one of their necks. She clearly been hurt by Maverick and from what I can tell a big blood vessel had been ruptured.

Daniel kept calm, and we moved her through the system so that she can be checked out by the vet. It wasn’t until afterward that I learned Maverick had nicked her carotid artery and the vet had to quickly sew it up and apply pressure to stop the bleeding.

Hearing the vet talk and watching him work, I was enthralled by the way he went about procedures and vaccinations. Being involved in the medical field, I have seen many clinical operations and witnessed surgeries, and I was surprised at the lack of sterility. Though I was initially caught off guard as I continue to look back on it, it makes more sense. Veterinary medicine isn’t so different from human medicine with regard to physiology but the standard of care for humans is vastly different than how we treat animals.

As I helped, shut the gates and watch the remainder of the bi go through I couldn’t help but think about Temple Grandin, and how she had informed the entire operation that we were going through. While these weren’t cows going for slaughter, the bison were still going through shoots and passages similar to those used in the meat industry.

It’s clear to me that Temple Grandin mastered the art of it having an inverted perspective, and I’ve heard incredible interviews of her, describing the way she gets in the minds of animals in order to best keep them calm and caused the least trauma possible.

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The round-up passed by quickly but I relished every moment of it. I shot a few photos, but mostly tried to remember and lock in the awe I felt towards these animals and the incredible teamwork that I witnessed that day.