Bison on the Loose: A Wild Week in North Branford
In a tale that has captivated the community, three bison escaped from the 3B Ranch in North Branford, Connecticut, only to return with a fourth member in tow. The unexpected addition? A newborn calf was delivered during their adventurous escape.
Off to “maternity leave”
The bison trio made their great escape on Sunday, breaking through a wire fence at the family-owned 3B Ranch, according to a report by CT Insider. Amanda Maresca, whose family runs the farm, humorously remarked, “What we’ve been kind of saying was that the bison went on maternity leave.”
The great return
The Guilford Police Department took to Facebook on Wednesday to announce the safe return of the bison. “The bison had been located and are back home on the range,” read the post. The animals had traveled approximately six miles to the town of Guilford before making their way back on Tuesday night, newborn calf in tow.
Amanda Maresca first learned of the escape through a friend who noticed pictures of the wandering bison circulating on social media. “One of my girlfriends had sent me a text and was like ‘I think everybody’s talking about your buffalo,’” Maresca recounted. Local authorities had cautioned the public to steer clear of the bison, warning that they could be “feisty.”
The bison’s adventure
The police department’s Facebook post added a touch of humor to the situation, stating, “These fluffernators had a few eventful days out, meeting and greeting the locals, learning about the rules of the road (everyone knows buffalo have the right of way at every intersection now), and finally they decided that it was time to take a nap in the comforts of their own pasture.”
The 80-acre 3B Ranch has housed around 15 bison for more than a dozen years, and this isn’t their first escape. In a previous incident, farm workers successfully lured the bison back by smearing molasses on trees to create a tempting trail, Maresca revealed.
A relieved return
Maresca expressed her relief upon the bison’s return late Sunday night. “It was honestly late at night. It’s really quiet up on the farm neighbor-wise, so we had left the gate open for them to kind of come back, and honestly they just make their way back,” she said. “We were glad, but we knew that they would come back. We really weren’t too worried.”
Adding a final touch to this heartwarming story, Maresca is now seeking the public’s help to give the newborn bison a fitting name. The community’s engagement in naming the newest member of the 3B Ranch promises to be the cherry on top of this extraordinary tale.
