Inside the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup
South Dakota’s Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup is one of the nation’s largest, with about 15,000 spectators coming from all over the world to watch real cowboys herd over 1,000 bison during this nearly 50-year-old tradition.
Chip Reid reported on the roundup for the “CBS Evening News.”
Bob Lantis
81-year-old cowboy Bob Lantis has been herding the North American Buffalo in the event for 45 years with no plans to slow down in the future.
Cowboy life
CBS News correspondent Chip Reid and Bob Lantis discuss what it is to be a cowboy
Ranchers
About 60 volunteer cowboys and cowgirls are recruited to help herd.
The run
During the run, the volunteer ranchers sprint with the bison to lead them to an enclosed area.
Bob Lantis
For Bob, the best part of the whole roundup is the adrenaline rush felt when you’re running as hard as you can.
For the good of the herd
Once captured, the animals are evaluated and vaccinated. Some are sold at auction.
Official mammal
The North American Buffalo is the official mammal of the United States. Once nearly extinct in the 19th century the buffalo made a strong resurgence thanks to national parks and reserves.
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Though bison are the largest mammal in North America, they maintain great speed and agility.
Bison fighting
Two buffalo lock horns.
Buffalo break
Not all buffalo have a fighting spirit.
Buffalo break
Bison tend to be more active in the morning and late afternoon, while during the warm hours of the day they rest and wallow in dirt.
Watering hole
The annual buffalo roundup gained more notoriety after it was set as the backdrop to the 1990s classic “Dances with Wolves.”
Buffalo up close
Bison can weigh as much as 2,000 pounds
Buffalo up close
Buffalo live on plains, prairies and river valleys. As a grazer they eat mostly grasses, weeds, and leafy plants.
Buffalo up close
According to the National Park Service, Teddy Roosevelt helped save the bison from extinction after co-founding the American Bison Society with William Hornaday.