West
Rare white buffalo sacred to Native Americans not seen since June 4 birth, Yellowstone officials say
Yellowstone National Park officials said Friday a rare white buffalo sacred to Native Americans has not been seen since its birth on June 4.
The birth of the white buffalo, which fulfilled a Lakota prophecy that portends better times, was the first recorded in Yellowstone history and is a landmark event for the recovery of buffalo, said park officials in confirming the birth for the first time.
VERY RARE WHITE BUFFALO CALF BORN IN MONTANA’S YELLOWSTONE, ‘SACRED’ NAME REVEALED
It is an extraordinarily rare occurrence: A white buffalo, also known as bison, is born in the wild once in every 1 million births, or even less frequently, the park said.
The rare calf has been named Wakan Gli, which means “Return Sacred” in Lakota. (AP Photo/Sam Wilson; Erin Braaten: Dancing Aspens Photography)
Whether the calf — named Wakan Gli, which means “Return Sacred” in Lakota — is still alive is unknown.
The park’s statement mentioned that each spring, about one in five calves die shortly after birth due to natural hazards but officials declined to directly respond to questions about whether they believed it has died.
They confirmed the birth of the white buffalo after receiving photos and reports from multiple park visitors, professional wildlife watchers, commercial guides and researchers. But since June 4, park staffers have not been able to find it and officials are not aware of any other confirmed sightings in the park, one of the last sanctuaries for free-roaming American bison.
Rangers that regularly work in the more accessible areas of the park, as well as its backcountry, have not seen the animal, park spokesperson Morgan Warthin said.
Miss Shoshnone-Bannock Queen Develynn Hall takes the stage during a naming ceremony for a white buffalo calf at the headquarters of the Buffalo Field Campaign in West Yellowstone, Mont., on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Sam Wilson)
Native American leaders earlier this week held a ceremony to honor the sacred birth of the animal and give the name. Lakota members caution that the prophecy tied to the birth of the white buffalo is also a signal that more must be done to protect the earth and its animals.
Suspicion about the calf’s fate has grown as weeks have passed without another sighting since its birth in the Lamar Valley, a prime spot for wildlife viewing in Yellowstone. Young buffalo can fall victim to predators, river currents, illness and other hazards.
Mike Mease, a co-founder of the Buffalo Field Campaign, a conservation group that works with tribes to protect and honor wild buffalo and hosted this week’s ceremony, said he thinks the calf is alive somewhere in the park, away from the roads and walkways most visitors stick to. He said a grizzly bear seen by Yellowstone visitors earlier this month with five cubs, an unusually large brood, has not been seen since either.
But the most important thing about the white buffalo is that a prophecy, which is both a warning and a blessing, has been fulfilled, Mease said.
“Whether it’s dead or alive, the message has been relayed from the heavens and times are different now. We have to make changes for the future,” he said.
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One person is dead and two others are missing near Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay after a boat with 19 people aboard capsized Tuesday afternoon, officials said.
A vessel was reported to be on fire around 600 yards off Alcatraz around 3:35 p.m., and police found a capsized three-deck pontoon boat, San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispen said.
The incident was initially reported as a fire, but no first responders reported witnessing a blaze, Crispen said.
Everyone on the boat is believed to have been adults, Crispen said. A dog was also on board and is dead, he said.
Thirteen people were safely rescued, and another three were transported to hospitals, Crispen said.
Firefighters are “in full rescue mode,” with 11 boats and divers as part of the response, Crispen said.
“We are going to continue for hours to make sure that we find these two missing people, if possible,” Crispen said.
“It seemed like a recreational-type vessel, but that’s all we know at this point,” Crispen told reporters.
The vessel reportedly launched from a yacht club, and investigators were still gathering information, he said.
Helicopter footage from NBC Bay Area showed responding rescue boats and debris floating in the water. Video from the station appeared to show some of the rescued with blankets on shore.
Local police departments and private vessels also responded to the incident, Crispen said.
“This is an all-hands-on-deck search and hopefully rescue,” San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said.
When first responders arrived, some people were in the water, others were on the sinking boat, and others were falling into the water, Crispen said.
Alcatraz Island is the site of the famous prison located in San Francisco Bay, around 1 mile offshore. It was closed as a federal prison in 1963 and is now a National Park.
Crispen said the search would be extensive.
“Our standard operating procedure is to continue to search, as long as it’s safe enough for us to search,” he said.
He said divers were in the water, helicopters were above, and officials were searching areas where survivors in the water would tend to move to.
“This search will go on for some time,” Crispen said.
After so many disappointing seasons with the interior offensive line, the Seattle Seahawks made a commitment last offseason to improve the unit. They started one big step at a time by drafting North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel in the first round, 18th overall pick, of the 2025 NFL Draft. This one was one of the last steps for the Seahawks to create one of the most productive offenses in the NFL.
Zabel wasn’t perfect in his rookie season, but he was good enough to validate the decision to draft him in the first round, and he showed improvement. Zabel is already a favorite among some Seahawks fans and some media outlets as they love his determination and spirit. It was a big jump from the FCS collegiate level to the NFL and this season, he has a chance to show why he might be a top-half-of-the-league guard.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Higher?
The Seahawks wanted a determined workhorse when looking for a guard. That’s exactly what they got in Zabel. Last season, he appeared in 1,051 snaps, which is only 10 fewer snaps than right tackle Abraham Lucas, who had the most offensive snaps. Zabel got better as the season progressed. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 81.5 and a run-block grade of 81.2 in Week 14 through the NFC Championship Game.
There were times last season when he looked like a monster against several defenders. He was pushing some defenders completely out of the way on pulling plays and even ran to defenders after the pass-catcher caught the ball. This is the mentality the Seahawks expect him to have going into his second season in the league. He has more experience and the complete trust of the team to be a franchise player on par with Lucas and left tackle Charles Cross. If he continues to improve, he will be another steal for the Seahawks.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Lower?
There were times last season when he didn’t quite catch up to the learning curve of the NFL. Zabel allowed two sacks, four hits and 24 pressures in 2025. The Seahawks expect those numbers to decrease significantly as he is experienced and capable of playing at an efficient level. While Zabel is impressive, he might not be the best player the Seahawks have selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. That honor belongs to slot cornerback Nick Emmanwori, who is stepping up to be the steal of the draft.
Zabel is easily one of the best second-year players and is one of the top offensive linemen, but there are players behind him because they haven’t proven to be consistently explosive for the Seahawks. There is going to be even more pressure on him this upcoming season. The Seahawks hired a more run-friendly coach in Brian Fleury as offensive coordinator. His ranking at the end of the season might be much better if he improves, or worse if he fails to reach expectations.
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