Third generation of bison born at South Park Game Preserve

There are now three generations of bison living at the South Park Game Preserve after a calf was born this week.  

The Friends of the South Park Buffalo Preserve announced the news on Facebook on Friday. The group says that not only is this calf the first for Alice, but it also makes Rosie a grandma. 

"Rosie has now seen four of her offspring (Alice, Diane, Elu, and Denali) grow within the Preserve family, and now that family line stretches beautifully into the next generation. That is something truly special," the Friends of the South Park Buffalo Preserve wrote on Facebook.

The calf, called Jacobi, joins six-week-old Denali, who was born in March to Rosie. 

The history of bison in Allegheny County 

Allegheny County says bison have been living in South Park since 1927. 

The county says it all began when it acquired 36 bison from General Harry C. Trexler's farm near Allentown. The first 18 were paraded through Downtown Pittsburgh on Dec. 9, 1927, led by a large brass band that played for thousands of spectators. Later that month, the other 18 arrived. In 2001, county council passed a motion requesting that the bison stay in South Park forever. 

The names bison and buffalo are used interchangeably in North America, though bison are only distant relatives of buffaloes, which are found on other continents, the county says. It's estimated 60 million bison once roamed North America, but they were nearly driven to extinction in the 1800s, and by 1889, there were only a few hundred wild bison remaining.

Since then, there have been nationwide efforts to restore the bison population. Bison continue to live in South Park, and the Friends of the South Park Buffalo Preserve say visitors can currently try to catch a glimpse of them in Corrigan Field.