There are numerous bison herds throughout Colorado, and while it's always fascinating to witness these massive mammals in person, it's even cooler to come across a rare, white buffalo.

Most of the bison we're used to seeing have thick brown or black coats, but occasionally, some are born with all-white fur. Because this is such a unique occurrence, several Native American tribes believe white bison hold great spiritual significance. The Lakota tribe regards white buffalo as being the most sacred living thing on earth and when one is born, it symbolizes hope as well as an indication of good times to come. In these tribal cultures, it's considered an extremely lucky sign to see a white buffalo.

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White buffalo are extremely rare. The National Bison Association estimates that they only occur in approximately one out of every 10 million births. A bison's fur could be white instead of brown for a variety of reasons. The animal might be albino, leucistic, or possibly have another rare genetic condition that resulted in different coloring.

It's not too often that people witness white bison in the Centennial State, however, there are two of them that are known to live in the small town of Hartsel, Colorado. A couple of white bison have also been spotted amongst herds near Fairplay and on the way to Eleven Mile Reservoir. Other Colorado residents have lived here for more than 70 years and have never come across this unique, natural phenomenon in these majestic animals.

Donkeys of Eleven Mile State Park

Guests at Eleven Mile State Park might run into these roaming burros.

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