The Bison & Elk Roundup, by Kellie Lester [Event Coordinator]

What a fascinating experience I had at the Park's annual Bison and Elk Roundup on Tuesday, 12/1 and Friday, 12/4. This was my first year as a participant so I was excited, but not knowing what to expect I was also a little nervous.

Here is the premise: the bison and elk are all rounded up and herded through a series of enclosures, each a little smaller than the last. They are then herded further into a chute system. The last stop for them in the chute system is the squeeze cage. Don't panic - it sounds intense (and it is), but when you have an agitated animal that weighs upward of 2,000 pounds...trust me when I tell you that you want it in a squeeze cage.

The squeeze cage has metal panels on each side that need to be pushed inward toward the animal to keep them secured, and free of injury from thrashing around. Small trap doors can then be lowered for collecting samples, giving shots, etc. The tricky part comes when a massive bison comes barreling into the cage with plans to keep right on going! Panels in the front have cut outs for the neck area and also secure the animal's head. In front of that is a cage that is only opened once the head is secured between the front panels.

When calves are in the cage their gender is determined and they are also ear tagged, given microchips, tested for tb and brucellosis and any additional testing required by their new owners. In case you're wondering, there's no fancy technology involved in determining gender - the tail is lifted, and a quick look will tell us all we need to know! As you can imagine, this process just cannot be done without the squeeze cage!

When participating in this fascinating event, adrenalin really gets going when these incredibly powerful animals are essentially put in a headlock. They thrash and grumble and you are amazed by what they can do. Then you realize that the animal you're seeing is just a calf. You would think that the largest male would be the most powerful - and they are. However, even though they are incredibly large and strong, I was amazed at the rowdiness of the bison cows. When calves are corralled into the chute their momma will generally follow right behind. They are each contained in a separate metal bin (called a tub), but she can hear her little one thrashing around up ahead of her. By the time it is her turn for testing, she is pretty irritated. Once the adults have gone through the chute system they are released back to the summer pasture, and the calves are put in temporary holding yards.

On Friday, December 04, the Roundup was completed when all the bison and elk calves were once again sent through the chute area to quickly check the tuberculosis results. We are happy to report that all animals were negative for this disease. Once the necessary paperwork is completed the calves can go to their new homes.

This project is referred to as a 'round-up' but is nothing like what you would see in a cowboy movie. Each staff person is assigned their role, and this is not open to the public. We try to do this quietly and calmly, causing as little stress as possible to the animals -and humans. Many thanks go to Dr. Shipley from the University of Illinois and his veterinary students for their diligent help in obtaining, and recording this required medical information.