Minneopa State Park enjoys a bison baby boom

MANKATO -- A rapid, rush of water leads to not one, but two water falls at Minneopa State Park.

In fact, the name Minneopa means "water falling twice." It's a scenic, high-energy place, and much different from the other side of the park – where a herd of nearly four dozen bison has access to 330 acres.  

Ashley Steevens, is the park's manager.

"They are pretty laid back and calm. They really are," Steevens said. "They're managed as a wild herd, so this is their territory. This is their home."

But on a hot day like this, they can be found lounging in the mud to cool off. They've been at Minneopa since they were reintroduced seven years ago. At one point, bison freely roamed the prairies, but over-harvesting by settlers nearly drove them out of Minnesota.

"We're working towards improving the genetics of bison and diversifying those genetics, since the population was reduced so significantly," she said.

To do that, Steevens and her team are working with the Minnesota Zoo to bring bison numbers back up. And this spring, something pretty cool happened.

"This year we currently have 17 calves at Minneopa, which is the most that we've ever had in a given year since 2015 when we started our herd," she said.

Many of the calves were born just last month, and they grow fast. The males will weigh close to a ton when they're fully grown.

The bull in this herd is from South Dakota and he weighs about 1,600 pounds. When the calves are big enough, they'll be relocated to other parks and agencies to try and increase numbers across the state. The goal is to grow the population to 500 or more -- and the young calves will play a big role in that.

"It means they're a healthy herd and they're doing what they're supposed to do out here," she said.

The park's other goal is education. A visitor can learn a lot just by observing from the comfort of their car. It's a home-on-the-range feel that suits both man and beast.

"We're really working to let them to have as natural of an environment and natural experience as possible," Steevens said.

Visitors are required to stay inside their cars for their own safety. The only day the bison range is closed to drivers is Wednesday. Click here for more information.