| Beefalo | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Beefalo bull | |
Domesticated | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Bovidae |
| Subfamily: | Bovinae |
| Tribe: | Bovini |
| Subtribe: | Bovina |
| Hybrid: | Bos taurus ×Bison bison |
Beefalo constitutes ahybrid offspring ofdomestic cattle (Bos taurus), usually a male, and theAmerican bison (Bison bison), usually a female, in managedbreeding programs.[1][2] The breed was created to combine the characteristics of both animals for beef production.
Beefalo are primarily cattle ingenetics andappearance, with thebreed association defining a full Beefalo as one with three-eighths (37.5%) bison genetics, while animals with higher percentages of bison genetics are called bison hybrids.[3] However, genomic analysis has found that the vast majority of Beefalo, even those consideredpedigree by the breed association, have no detectable bison ancestry, with no sampled Beefalo having higher than 18% bison ancestry, with most Beefalo consisting of a mixture oftaurine cattle andzebu cattle ancestry.[4]
Accidental crosses were noticed as long ago as 1749 in theSouthern Colonies of North America, duringBritish colonization. Cattle and bison were first intentionallycrossbred during the mid-19th century.[5]
One of the first efforts to cross-breed bison and domestic cattle was in 1815 by Robert Wickliffe of Lexington, Kentucky. Mr. Wickliffe's experiments continued for up to 30 years.[6]
Another early deliberate attempt to cross-breed bison with cattle was made by Colonel Samuel Bedson, warden ofStoney Mountain Penitentiary, Winnipeg, in 1880. Bedson bought eight bison from a captive herd of James McKay and inter-bred them withDurham cattle. The hybrids raised by Bedson were described by naturalistErnest Thompson Seton:[7]
The hybrid animal is [claimed] to be a great improvement on both of its progenitors, as it is more docile and a better milker than the Buffalo, but retains its hardihood, while the robe is finer, darker and more even, and the general shape of the animal is improved by the reduction of the hump and increased proportion of the hind-quarters.
After seeing thousands of cattle die in ablizzard in 1886,Charles "Buffalo" Jones, a co-founder ofGarden City, Kansas, also worked to cross bison and cattle at a ranch near the futureGrand Canyon National Park, with the hope the animals could survive the harsh winters.[8] He called the result "cattalo" in 1888.[9]Mossom Martin Boyd ofBobcaygeon, Ontario first started the practice in Canada, publishing about some of his outcomes in the Journal of Heredity.[10] After his death in 1914, the Canadian government continued experiments in crossbreeding up to 1964, with little success. For example, in 1936 the Canadian government had successfully cross-bred only 30 cattalos.[11]
It was found early on that crossing a male bison with a domestic cow would produce few offspring, but that crossing a domestic bull with a bison cow apparently solved the problem. The female offspring proved fertile, but rarely so for the males. Although the cattalo performed well, the mating problems meant the breeder had to maintain a herd of wild and difficult-to-handle bison cows.[citation needed]
In 1965, Jim Burnett of Montana produced a hybrid bull that was fertile.[12] Californian cattle rancher D.C. "Bud" Basolo developed the Beefalo breed in the 1970s. He did not reveal the precise pedigree of the breed.[4]
The breed is defined by The American Beefalo Association as being genetically at least five-eighthsBos taurus and at most three-eighthsBison bison.[4]
In 2024, a genetic study, including historical samples from Basolo's foundational herd, found that the majority of Beefalo cattle who were genomically sequenced (39 out of 47 sampled), including those from Basolo's original herd, had no detectable bison ancestry. Of the 8 that did have some bison ancestry, this was no higher than 18% (and as low as 2% in some individuals), which is much lower than that of the supposed pedigree. Most Beefalo were instead found to be either entirely oftaurine cattle ancestry or more commonly, mixed with varying levels ofzebu ancestry in proportions of 2% to 38%.[4]
AUnited States Department of Agriculture study found Beefalo meat, like bison meat, to be lower in fat andcholesterol than standard beef cattle.[13]
In 1983, the three main Beefalo registration groups reorganized under the American Beefalo World Registry. Until November 2008, there were two Beefalo associations, the American Beefalo World Registry[14] and American Beefalo International. These organizations jointly formed the American Beefalo Association, Inc., which currently operates as the registering body for Beefalo in the United States.[15]
Most current bison herds are"genetically polluted", meaning that they are partly crossbred with cattle.[16][17][18][19] There are only four genetically unmixed American bison herds left, and only two that are also free ofbrucellosis: theWind Cave bison herd that roamsWind Cave National Park,South Dakota; and theHenry Mountains herd in the Henry Mountains of Utah.[20]
Dr. Dirk Van Vuren, formerly of the University of Kansas, however, points out that "The bison today that carry cattle DNA look exactly like bison, function exactly like bison and in fact are bison. For conservation groups, the interest is that they are not totally pure."[21]
Although popular with tourists and hunters, escaped beefalo have been destroying parts of the ecosystem, as well as ancient stone ruins, in theGrand Canyon and threatening native species. By 2015, numbers were growing by 50% per year and there were at least 600 animals roaming the park.[22]Grand Canyon National Park was reporting an accident a day due to tourist interactions with beefalo.[23] In 2018, the park began trapping the animals and giving them to Native American tribes outside the state. In addition, volunteer hunters were enlisted to cull the herds, with a goal of reducing the population to 200 animals.[24] As of 2022, the herd was down to 216 individuals, with only 4 having been taken by hunters.[25]
The termcattalo, aportmanteau ofcattle andbuffalo, is defined by United States law as a cross of bison and cattle which have a bison appearance.[26]
In some American states, cattalo are regulated asexotic animals, along with pure bison anddeer. However, in most states, bison and hybrids which are raised solely for livestock purposes similar to cattle, are considered domestic animals like cattle, and do not require special permits.[citation needed]