The North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park (TRNP) is adding two more steers to their aging Texas longhorn steer herd. The one-and two-year-old steers arrive Monday to showcase the park's 60th anniversary on Wednesday.
Currently the herd is down to four. The last time the park service added to it was in 1993. The longhorns were first introduced into the North Unit in April 1967 as a living exhibit to commemorate the open range cattle industry, stated a recent press release.
The two new steers come from the Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site in Deer Lodge, Mont. TRNP Superintendent Valerie Naylor is excited about the new additions and the fact they will be coming from Grant-Kohrs ranch.
"Longhorns are a part of the North Unit's history because of their association with the Long X Cattle Trail," Naylor said in a press release. "It is also great to have this connection with Conrad Kohrs, a cattle rancher pioneer admired by Theodore Roosevelt."
TRNP Chief of Interpretation Bruce Kaye said the park only wants steers in order to best manage them as a historic demonstration herd and living exhibit.
ADVERTISEMENT
The initial six steers obtained 40 years ago came from Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge in Nebraska which no longer is in the business of transferring steers. Additional longhorns were added to this historic demonstration herd over the years - three in 1973, six more in 1974 and another six in 1977. Then came six more in 1982 and the last six in 1993.
"We are excited to have two young longhorn steers join our aging herd," Naylor said in the press release. "We hope the four older steers will teach the new ones the ways of the North Unit and that they will help to educate visitors for years to come."
Kaye said Texas longhorns could have more than a 20 year life span, in the right conditions. The longhorns in the North Unit hang out in one area of the park, which is about three miles into the park in a sage brush flat area about 780 acres wide close to the Little Missouri River.
The animals take some extra care than other animals that are totally on their own in the park.
"We feed them in the winter time and have water available for them in the summer," Kaye said. "They stay nearby to the wildlife handling facility in the winter otherwise they are on their own."
There is an exhibit on the history of longhorns for visitors in the North Unit.
The ranches of T.R. and Kohrs are now part of the National Park System and though the longhorn gave way to beefier breeds, each man was aware of the importance of the rangy Southwestern cattle in the early days of the open range. By 1900, Texas longhorns had all but vanished from the ranges. A remnant herd was established in the Wichita Forest and Game Preserve in Oklahoma, which had been established in 1905 by T.R., stated the press release
