Yellowstone National Park (YNP) announced Friday that a white bison calf, born June 4 and of cultural significance to Native Americans, is missing.

“At this time, Yellowstone National Park can confirm, based on multiple credible sightings, that a white bison calf was born in Lamar Valley on June 4, 2024.” statement “To date, park officials have not been able to locate the calf.”

The missing calf is a leucistic animal (with black eyes and hoof pigmentation) and not an albino, a biologist who analyzed numerous photos of the calf reportedly told YNP.

The birth of a white bison calf is a “rare natural phenomenon” that was last observed until the bison nearly became extinct in the late 19th century, according to YNP.RELATED: Yellowstone tourist faces prison time in 'dangerous' incident caught on camera

The recently reported birth appears to signal a natural genetic legacy from Yellowstone National Park's restored wild bison population of 3,000-6,000 animals. Such births are extremely rare in the wild, thought to occur at least 1 in every million animals, and Yellowstone National Park has therefore declared it a “milestone in the National Park Service's (NPS) eco-cultural restoration of bison.”

White bison calves have cultural significance in American Indian culture, YNP acknowledged.

Great Sioux Chief Arbol Looking Horse, who has been steward of the sacred white buffalo calf's pipe and bundle for 19 generations, named the calf Wakan Guri, meaning “sacred return” or “sacred coming,” in a ceremony held June 26 in West Yellowstone, Montana, according to the environmental group Buffalo Field Campaign (BFC). Said.

The event, which took place on the grounds of BFC's headquarters on Shoshone-Bannock territory, was reportedly attended by approximately 500 people, including members of numerous Native American tribes.

Native Americans believe the unusual birth is “the fulfillment of an ancient Native American prophecy that is both a blessing and a warning,” BFC reported.

“According to the White Buffalo Calf Woman's prophecy, we are at a crossroads and it is up to each and every one of us to make it happen. For the sake of our children's future, we must come together and bring back good energy,” Chief Albor Looking Horse was quoted as saying.

Bison give birth in late spring or early summer.[e]”Every spring, natural disasters kill one in five bison calves shortly after they're born,” YNP said.

there was A storm of reactions In response to YNP's statement, many expressed hope that the calf will be found.

Mike Meese, co-founder of BFC, said: He told the Associated Press (AP) He believed the calf was still alive, but off the path most tourists take, and reportedly thought a Lakota prophecy had been fulfilled.

“Dead or alive, the message was conveyed from above and times are different now. We have to make a change for the future,” he was quoted as saying.

An even rarer albino bison calf was born at Wagon Springs Ranch in Central Burnett, Texas, FOX 7 Austin reported. report In early May, albino calves, the offspring of two blonde bison, were reportedly extremely rare, and subsequent attempts to breed one parent with the other blonde bison did not produce a white calf.