Golden Gate Park’s Amazing Bison
Fans of Golden Gate Park’s resident bison are able to connect with the beloved beasts from home, thanks to two live webcams in their paddock.
Click below to see the bison live in the paddock
Our social herbivores can be seen grazing together, wallowing in the dirt, or, like many a Golden Gate Park visitor, simply enjoying a stroll or a rest on the grass. They also like to sleep, so you’ll only be able to see them during the day.
Interesting Bison Stories
The bison webcams offer a rare opportunity to observe the all-female herd as five longtime residents — Betsy, Bailey, Bellatrix, Buttercup, and Bambi — get to know their five young roommates, 1-year-olds acquired in March in honor of Golden Gate Park’s 150th anniversary. Among the youngsters is Sesqui, a bison named for the park’s sesquicentennial who sports an ear tag number of 150.
San Francisco Chronicle — Brand New Bison in Golden Gate Park
Outside Lands — Bison of Golden Gate Park
GGP150 News — New Baby “Sesqui” Bison Arrival
KQED Bay Curious — What’s with the Bison in Golden Gate Park?
Richmond Review — Where the Bison Roam
KALW Podcasts — What do you Give Golden Gate Park for its 150th Birthday? Bison
Bison Activities & Fun
“B is for Bison” GGP150 theme Song
Draw a Bison and other iconic GGP treasures
Tutorial from local artist on how to Draw a Bison
Purchase cool bison gear at our Welcome Center
The five yearlings that arrived earlier in the year were the first new bison added to the paddock in eight years, bringing the total number of bison in the paddock to 10 females. The bison were purchased through a $50,000 donation to the San Francisco Zoological Society by Richard Blum, philanthropist, investment banker, and husband of Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
The bison herd is cared for by staff from the San Francisco Zoo, while Recreation and Parks Department gardeners maintain the enclosure. An emblem of the American west, bison had been driven nearly to extinction by the time Golden Gate Park’s herd was established. These huge, shaggy Great Plains denizens have been a beloved institution in the park since 1892. The herd’s first home was in the park’s eastern end, near where the Music Concourse now stands, but in 1899 they were moved to the Bison Paddock, the meadow where they live today, just west of Spreckels Lake along John F. Kennedy Drive.
Experience Golden Gate Park’s Bison Paddock
“The bison paddock is one of the favorite destinations in the park and now we can open this amazing experience up to animal lovers regardless of location.”
Visit Golden Gate Park’s Welcome Center to get your bison gear and other GGP 150 items today!