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Fermilab bison herd

March 20, 2024

The Fermilab bison herd was established in 1969[1] at the U.S. national laboratory in Batavia, Illinois, about 34 mi (55 km) west of Chicago, under the leadership of physicist, amateur architect and Wyoming native Robert R. Wilson.[2] The herd grazes an 800-acre (320 ha; 3.2 km2) pasture[3] adjacent to the Fermilab prairie, which sits atop the accelerator's underground Main Ring and Tevatron.[4][5] The herd usually averages around 25 individuals;[6] as of spring 2022, the head count of the herd was 32 individuals.[7]

DOE photo of cow and calf, 2013

History and ecology edit

A bull and four cows[8] were first brought to the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory as a visual reminder of the idea science is a frontier.[9][10] In 1971, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources added 21 head.[8] The bison herd added a utopian dimension to a physics lab that was associated in the mind of the general public with the terror of the Bomb.[11] The herd was also explicitly a tourist attraction.[11] The bison were meant to be classic symbol of Americana, familiar from Western-genre stories and films, for visitors from overseas;[8] for domestic visitors, the opportunity to visit the bison marked the lab as an accessible populist space, rather than as a secretive quasi-military government installation.[11] The historian Edward Tenner suggested in Wilson Quarterly that the curved towers of the Alan H. Rider-designed Fermilab admin building represent a cathedral of science and innovation that, in combination with the bison herd and the prairie restoration, projected "exuberant hope for the future [bound with] profound respect for human and natural heritage."[12] Utopia or not, the animals are contained by two layers of fencing, 12 ft (3.7 m) apart and with one ring tall enough to block a potentially 6 ft (1.8 m) vertical leap.[8] The fences are further marked with warning signs designating the grounds as a dangerous high radiation area.[8] (There is no radiation danger to civilians at Fermilab,[8] but the signs work as an added layer of discouragement to anyone contemplating messing with a bison.)

The Fermilab herd is one of 12 federally managed "buffalo" herds in the United States.[13] Most of the federal herds are managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and partners; Fermilab's herd is solely managed by the Department of Energy.[13] All of the government-owned herds are considered conservation herds; there were about 50 conservation herds in North America circa 2006.[13] (Hundreds of thousands of other bison are owned by commercial ranching operations.)[13][8]

Both the bison herd and the prairie are part of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Environmental Research Park.[14] The Fermilab herd of DuPage County, and two other herds established during the 21st century at Nachusa Grasslands (Ogle County–Lee County) and Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie (Will County) represent the first bison to live in Illinois since the early 1800s.[15] Testing has found that the Fermilab display herd of indigenous Bison bison does not have any introgression of either mitochondrial or nuclear DNA[16] from domestic cattle (Bos taurus).[3]

Twitter-suggested names for a bison calf born at the lab in 2016 included Higgs Bison, Bison Tennial, Niels Bohrson and Neil DeGrass Bison.[17]

Management edit

The herd got up to 160 head in the 1990s[8] but is now kept to about 20 to 25 animals.[6] The herd's bulls are changed out from time to time in order to prevent inbreeding depression.[18] The bison get annual veterinary checkups but are otherwise left to their own devices.[7] There is a bison cemetery on the laboratory grounds where they bury animals that die of old age; other animals are auctioned off to ranchers in order to maintain a herd size appropriate for the carrying capacity of the site.[8] The Fermi herdsmen responsible for the bison, in cooperation with the lab's Roads and Grounds Department,[7] work out of a converted dairy building that dates to around 1900.[8]

Access edit

According to one site caretaker, the most important thing to know about bison is "leave them alone."[6]

Fans can observe the herd via a webcam.[1] Visitors to the site must show valid ID; U.S. state driver's licenses must be Real ID-compliant after May 3, 2023.[19] Entrance gates are located at Pine Street Entrance in Batavia or Batavia Road in Warrenville. Summer hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.[8] The Lederman Science Center opens at 9 a.m. Monday through Saturday.[19]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Bison at Fermilab". Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (fnal.gov). Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  2. ^ Jogalekar, Ashutosh S. (2011). "Lost in translation". Current Science. 101 (12): 1529–1530. ISSN 0011-3891. JSTOR 24080689.
  3. ^ a b Shivni, Rashmi (January 27, 2016). "The genetic purity and diversity of the Fermilab bison herd". Fermilab News. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  4. ^ Marburger, John H. (June 2014). "The Superconducting Supercollider and US Science Policy". Physics in Perspective. 16 (2): 218–249. Bibcode:2014PhP....16..218M. doi:10.1007/s00016-014-0133-9. ISSN 1422-6944. S2CID 253592082.
  5. ^ Collision course. By: Merrion, Paul, Crain's Chicago Business, 01496956, 11/10/2003, Vol. 26, Issue 45
  6. ^ a b c West, Rick (May 11, 2013). "Suburban man cares for Fermilab bison". The Times. Munster, Indiana. Arlington Heights Daily Herald. p. A5. Retrieved 2023-02-05 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ a b c Marks, Tracy (April 14, 2022). "Fermilab is home to a new baby bison". Fermilab News (news.fnal.gov). Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Stephenson, Lynda (September 23, 1988). "Fermi Buffalo They Roam on a Home Where Particles Collide All Day". Chicago Tribune. p. 2-1. Retrieved 2023-02-05 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Jacobs, Tom (November–December 2008). "The Enduring Mystery of the Higgs Boson". Miller-McCune.com. Vol. 1, no. 6. pp. 84–85.
  10. ^ Fliege, Stu (March–April 2009). "Book Review: Quantum physics on the prairie". Illinois Heritage. 12 (2): 35.
  11. ^ a b c Ploeger, Joanna S. (January 2002). "The art of science at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory: The rhetoric of aesthetics and humanism in the national laboratory system in the late 1960s". History and Technology. 18 (1): 23–49. doi:10.1080/07341510290028765. ISSN 0734-1512. S2CID 145564689.
  12. ^ Tenner, Edward (2006). "The Future Is a Foreign Country". The Wilson Quarterly. 30 (1): 62–66. ISSN 0363-3276. JSTOR 40261356.
  13. ^ a b c d Boyd, Delaney P.; Gates, C. Cormack (Spring 2006). "A Brief Review of the Status of Plains Bison in North America". Journal of the West. 45 (2): 15–21.
  14. ^ Sluis, William (September 2020). "Dark Diversity in Restorations: What's missing?". Ecological Restoration. 38 (3): 180–192. doi:10.3368/er.38.3.180. ISSN 1543-4060. S2CID 221142243 – via Ebscohost.
  15. ^ Morrissey, Robert Michael (November 1, 2019). "Climate, Ecology and History in North America's Tallgrass Prairie Borderlands*". Past & Present. 245 (1): 39–77. doi:10.1093/pastj/gtz018. ISSN 0031-2746.
  16. ^ "Mammals at Fermilab". Fermilab Nature and Ecology (ecology.fnal.gov). Retrieved 2023-02-05.
  17. ^ Woolston, Chris (May 12, 2016). "Higgs Bison or Niels Bohrson? Twitter offers names for Fermilab's baby bison". Nature. 533 (7602): 149. Bibcode:2016Natur.533..149W. doi:10.1038/533149f. ISSN 0028-0836.
  18. ^ "Fermilab welcomes its first baby bison of the year". Chicago Tribune. May 17, 2022. p. I17. Retrieved 2023-02-05 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ a b "Fermilab Hours, Maps and Directions". Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (fnal.gov). Retrieved 2023-02-05.

Further reading edit

  • Hoddeson, Lillian; Kolb, Adrienne W.; Westfall, Catherine (2008). Fermilab : physics, the frontier, and megascience. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-34625-0. OCLC 434595805.

External links edit

  • Fermilab Bisoncam

March 20, 2024
fermilab, bison, herd, established, 1969, national, laboratory, batavia, illinois, about, west, chicago, under, leadership, physicist, amateur, architect, wyoming, native, robert, wilson, herd, grazes, acre, pasture, adjacent, fermilab, prairie, which, sits, a. The Fermilab bison herd was established in 1969 1 at the U S national laboratory in Batavia Illinois about 34 mi 55 km west of Chicago under the leadership of physicist amateur architect and Wyoming native Robert R Wilson 2 The herd grazes an 800 acre 320 ha 3 2 km2 pasture 3 adjacent to the Fermilab prairie which sits atop the accelerator s underground Main Ring and Tevatron 4 5 The herd usually averages around 25 individuals 6 as of spring 2022 the head count of the herd was 32 individuals 7 DOE photo of cow and calf 2013 Contents 1 History and ecology 2 Management 3 Access 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksHistory and ecology editA bull and four cows 8 were first brought to the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory as a visual reminder of the idea science is a frontier 9 10 In 1971 the Illinois Department of Natural Resources added 21 head 8 The bison herd added a utopian dimension to a physics lab that was associated in the mind of the general public with the terror of the Bomb 11 The herd was also explicitly a tourist attraction 11 The bison were meant to be classic symbol of Americana familiar from Western genre stories and films for visitors from overseas 8 for domestic visitors the opportunity to visit the bison marked the lab as an accessible populist space rather than as a secretive quasi military government installation 11 The historian Edward Tenner suggested in Wilson Quarterly that the curved towers of the Alan H Rider designed Fermilab admin building represent a cathedral of science and innovation that in combination with the bison herd and the prairie restoration projected exuberant hope for the future bound with profound respect for human and natural heritage 12 Utopia or not the animals are contained by two layers of fencing 12 ft 3 7 m apart and with one ring tall enough to block a potentially 6 ft 1 8 m vertical leap 8 The fences are further marked with warning signs designating the grounds as a dangerous high radiation area 8 There is no radiation danger to civilians at Fermilab 8 but the signs work as an added layer of discouragement to anyone contemplating messing with a bison The Fermilab herd is one of 12 federally managed buffalo herds in the United States 13 Most of the federal herds are managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and partners Fermilab s herd is solely managed by the Department of Energy 13 All of the government owned herds are considered conservation herds there were about 50 conservation herds in North America circa 2006 13 Hundreds of thousands of other bison are owned by commercial ranching operations 13 8 Both the bison herd and the prairie are part of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Environmental Research Park 14 The Fermilab herd of DuPage County and two other herds established during the 21st century at Nachusa Grasslands Ogle County Lee County and Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie Will County represent the first bison to live in Illinois since the early 1800s 15 Testing has found that the Fermilab display herd of indigenous Bison bison does not have any introgression of either mitochondrial or nuclear DNA 16 from domestic cattle Bos taurus 3 Twitter suggested names for a bison calf born at the lab in 2016 included Higgs Bison Bison Tennial Niels Bohrson and Neil DeGrass Bison 17 Management editThe herd got up to 160 head in the 1990s 8 but is now kept to about 20 to 25 animals 6 The herd s bulls are changed out from time to time in order to prevent inbreeding depression 18 The bison get annual veterinary checkups but are otherwise left to their own devices 7 There is a bison cemetery on the laboratory grounds where they bury animals that die of old age other animals are auctioned off to ranchers in order to maintain a herd size appropriate for the carrying capacity of the site 8 The Fermi herdsmen responsible for the bison in cooperation with the lab s Roads and Grounds Department 7 work out of a converted dairy building that dates to around 1900 8 Access editAccording to one site caretaker the most important thing to know about bison is leave them alone 6 Fans can observe the herd via a webcam 1 Visitors to the site must show valid ID U S state driver s licenses must be Real ID compliant after May 3 2023 19 Entrance gates are located at Pine Street Entrance in Batavia or Batavia Road in Warrenville Summer hours are 8 a m to 8 p m 8 The Lederman Science Center opens at 9 a m Monday through Saturday 19 See also editCamp Pendleton bison herdReferences edit a b Bison at Fermilab Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory fnal gov Retrieved 2023 02 03 Jogalekar Ashutosh S 2011 Lost in translation Current Science 101 12 1529 1530 ISSN 0011 3891 JSTOR 24080689 a b Shivni Rashmi January 27 2016 The genetic purity and diversity of the Fermilab bison herd Fermilab News Retrieved 2023 02 03 Marburger John H June 2014 The Superconducting Supercollider and US Science Policy Physics in Perspective 16 2 218 249 Bibcode 2014PhP 16 218M doi 10 1007 s00016 014 0133 9 ISSN 1422 6944 S2CID 253592082 Collision course By Merrion Paul Crain s Chicago Business 01496956 11 10 2003 Vol 26 Issue 45 a b c West Rick May 11 2013 Suburban man cares for Fermilab bison The Times Munster Indiana Arlington Heights Daily Herald p A5 Retrieved 2023 02 05 via Newspapers com a b c Marks Tracy April 14 2022 Fermilab is home to a new baby bison Fermilab News news fnal gov Retrieved 2023 02 03 a b c d e f g h i j k Stephenson Lynda September 23 1988 Fermi Buffalo They Roam on a Home Where Particles Collide All Day Chicago Tribune p 2 1 Retrieved 2023 02 05 via Newspapers com Jacobs Tom November December 2008 The Enduring Mystery of the Higgs Boson Miller McCune com Vol 1 no 6 pp 84 85 Fliege Stu March April 2009 Book Review Quantum physics on the prairie Illinois Heritage 12 2 35 a b c Ploeger Joanna S January 2002 The art of science at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory The rhetoric of aesthetics and humanism in the national laboratory system in the late 1960s History and Technology 18 1 23 49 doi 10 1080 07341510290028765 ISSN 0734 1512 S2CID 145564689 Tenner Edward 2006 The Future Is a Foreign Country The Wilson Quarterly 30 1 62 66 ISSN 0363 3276 JSTOR 40261356 a b c d Boyd Delaney P Gates C Cormack Spring 2006 A Brief Review of the Status of Plains Bison in North America Journal of the West 45 2 15 21 Sluis William September 2020 Dark Diversity in Restorations What s missing Ecological Restoration 38 3 180 192 doi 10 3368 er 38 3 180 ISSN 1543 4060 S2CID 221142243 via Ebscohost Morrissey Robert Michael November 1 2019 Climate Ecology and History in North America s Tallgrass Prairie Borderlands Past amp Present 245 1 39 77 doi 10 1093 pastj gtz018 ISSN 0031 2746 Mammals at Fermilab Fermilab Nature and Ecology ecology fnal gov Retrieved 2023 02 05 Woolston Chris May 12 2016 Higgs Bison or Niels Bohrson Twitter offers names for Fermilab s baby bison Nature 533 7602 149 Bibcode 2016Natur 533 149W doi 10 1038 533149f ISSN 0028 0836 Fermilab welcomes its first baby bison of the year Chicago Tribune May 17 2022 p I17 Retrieved 2023 02 05 via Newspapers com a b Fermilab Hours Maps and Directions Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory fnal gov Retrieved 2023 02 05 Further reading editHoddeson Lillian Kolb Adrienne W Westfall Catherine 2008 Fermilab physics the frontier and megascience Chicago University of Chicago Press ISBN 978 0 226 34625 0 OCLC 434595805 External links editFermilab Bisoncam Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Fermilab bison herd amp oldid 1178870814, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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