By Alesha Capone
A baby bison named Taami is blossoming at Werribee Open Range Zoo.
Staff at the zoo, along with mother Tehya and father Benji, welcomed Taami into the world on January 27.
Taami is an American Bison, a species that was once almost hunted close to extinction.
Taami translates to “musician” in Raramuri, an indigenous language originating from Chihuahuain Mexico, where a population of American Bison reside.
The zoo’s Life Sciences Savannah Manager, Dominic Moss, said the birth of Taami was welcome news, given the species’ unstable history.
“Werribee Zoo’s Bison highlight the need to fight for animal conservation, including protected breeding programs such as ours,” Mr Moss said.
Mr Moss said have reported Tehya was very protective of little Taami.
“She’s a real force to be reckoned with,” Mr Moss said.
“Whenever Taami takes a wander around, her mother is always close by.”
Classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as “Near Threatened”, the American Bison population experienced a drastic decline in the 19th century due to hunting.
Before the colonisation of North America, there were approximately 30 million wild bison, with their numbers dropping below a 1000 by the 1880’s.
But as of this year, there are approximately 13,000 wild American Bison and an additional 68 conservation herds in North America.
Werribee Open Range Zoo added six female bison calves last year to contribute to the global breeding program.
Zoo members and visitors can see Taami if they go on Werribee Zoo’s Safari Bus, which is free with entry.
