The Bison Paddock is in the western part of Golden Gate Park, and bison have lived in the park for more than 130 years. KQED notes that bison aren’t native to San Francisco. By 1889, overhunting had cut the U.S. population to about 1,000 animals. Rec and Park General Manager Phil Ginsburg told KQED that when the park was created, “the idea was to honor the Wild West.”
Ben Harrison arrives
The Richmond Review/Sunset Beacon says the first bull arrived on Feb. 13, 1891, from a Kansas ranch. Citing the San Francisco Examiner, it reports he spent a week in a Wells Fargo basement before a wagon delivered him to Park Superintendent John McLaren. He was named Ben Harrison after the sitting president. Ginsburg told KQED the first paddock was close to where Kezar Stadium is today. The paper says the San Francisco Chronicle reported in December 1899 on the difficult move of the male bison to a new 25-acre paddock. The paper also lists escapes over the decades, including ones in 1924, 1932, 1940, 1942 and 1956.
The herd today
The paper reports that more than 500 calves were born in the park through a breeding program that sent some bison to other zoos. That program ended after the dominant male was sterilized and died in 1997. KQED says today’s animals are not descended from the originals, since the herd was replaced in 1984 and again in 2011. Five calves were added in March 2020 for the park’s 150th anniversary. KQED reported in 2022 that the herd is all female, which Ginsburg said keeps things calmer, and that the San Francisco Zoo cares for the animals. The bison can be seen grazing or resting from the fence along the paddock.
For more of the park, see our guide to the Dutch and Murphy windmills.