Bison spotted grazing in several Chicago suburbs, photo shows. She’s just visiting
Chicago-area residents might do a double take when they see a large, shaggy creature roaming around. But the Lake County Sheriff’s Office is reassuring residents to not be too alarmed — it’s just the neighborhood bison.
“Tyson the Bison” has apparently made counties in the Chicago suburbs its stomping grounds, the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post. Of course, the sheriff’s office couldn’t help but sneak some puns into the release announcing the creature’s presence in the area.
“...She’s still on the ‘mooooove,’ as she fled from her ‘farmiliar’ surroundings in September,” the post said.
The post said although Tyson may appear friendly, it’s best not to approach the suburb’s latest resident.
Tyson’s owners are looking forward to snowfall so they can track Tyson and take her into “cowstody,” the post said.
“The infamous Lake County Bison,” as one commenter described Tyson, can be a bit “imbullsive,” according to the sheriff’s office, which recommends calling local police departments if you run across the beast so Tyson can be properly wrangled.
One Illinois resident said she’d spotted the near-threatened species — colloquially known as the American buffalo — in her neck of the woods.
“I was just saying today that they need to find a cute name for her. Tyson the Bison visited our neighborhood in Cary last Thursday,” Maureen Shelton wrote on Facebook.
Bison are typically found in the Great Plains, and across Canada. They are the largest mammals in North America, with males growing up to 2,000 pounds and 6 feet tall, with females reaching up to 1,000 pounds and 5 feet tall, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Anyone who may run into Tyson or another bison can pay close attention to the creature’s tail to gauge its mood. If the tail is hanging down, the bison is likely calm, officials said, whereas a bison with a tail standing up “may be ready to charge.” Still, officials urge people to be cautious, even if a bison appears friendly.
Regardless of the possible risk, most people commenting on the sheriff’s office’s post seemed delighted by the news.
“A visit from the Christmas Buffalo,” one person proclaimed. “It’s a Christmas miracle!”
This story was originally published December 8, 2021 at 4:21 PM with the headline "Bison spotted grazing in several Chicago suburbs, photo shows. She’s just visiting."
