Buffalo roundup a lark in the park

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Two-year-old Jameson Maxwell sat mesmerized on Monday as nearly 1,000 bison rumbled across the prairie in western South Dakota.

The massive creatures raced at speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour in the annual Buffalo Roundup at Custer State Park.

"He really enjoys it. He was saying, 'Yee-haw.' He thinks he's going to catch one," his mother, Maria Maxwell, said as she watched the toddler perfect his roping skills.

Maxwell and her son were among thousands of people from all over the world who descended on South Dakota on Monday for a taste of the Old West and a chance to see one of the most iconic American creatures.

Officials created the Buffalo Roundup nearly 50 years ago to manage the bison herd at Custer State Park. It has since become a multi-day event that draws people from Germany, Australia and New Zealand.

Tens of millions of bison, also known as buffalo, once roamed most of North America before overhunting reduced the population to about 1,000 animals by the turn of the 20th century. Subsequent conservation efforts helped rebuild the herds, though not anything close to the numbers reached when they roamed free across the Great Plains.

Visitors to the 47th annual Buffalo Roundup got up before dawn on Monday and packed Custer State Park to watch the bison being corralled into pens. About 225 to 250 of the animals will be sold and shipped across North America, said Chad Kremer, herd manager at Custer State Park. The buffalo will supplement existing herds, help start new ones or be used for meat.

Many spectators sat for hours at two designated viewing areas in 5 C temperatures, keeping warm with blankets and hot chocolate. Shortly after 10 am, the first few buffalo began to peek out over a rolling hill as spectators began cheering with excitement. Soon, nearly 1,000 of the mighty animals began barreling across the landscape, down the hill, around a bend and into a waiting pen.

The animals will stay in the pens until the new ones are branded, others vaccinated and the cows checked for pregnancy.

The goal of the South Dakota event is to keep the bison headcount in Custer State Park at about 1,000, Kremer said. Those chosen for sale will be auctioned off in November.

Fewer bison were being corralled this year because the park's herd count has been down due to drought, said Custer State Park Resource Program Manager Gary Brundige. In the past, as many as 1,500 buffalo would take part.

About the broadcaster:

CJ Henderson is a foreign expert for China Daily's online culture department. CJ is a graduate of the University of Sydney where she completed a Bachelors degree in Media and Communications, Government and International Relations, and American Studies. CJ has four years of experience working across media platforms, including work for 21st Century Newspapers in Beijing, and a variety of media in Australia and the US.