“Until
one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.”
~ Anatole France
~ 1844-1924
For
the first time I captured a sweet baby bison nursing from its mother on a
beautiful mid-July afternoon at Trexler Nature Preserve, Schnecksville,
Pennsylvania. This is one of two American Bison calves born this spring at the
preserve, where bison live as a herd on the hillsides of the 1,100-acre
preserve’s Central Range.
When
the late General Harry C. Trexler established the preserve in the early 1900s,
he did it to save the American bison, elk and white-tailed deer from extinction
and assure the species’ survival.
A
conservationist along the lines of Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir, General
Trexler understood the importance of nature and preserving wildlife in its
natural habitat.
A
successful businessman who amassed a fortune in the timber and cement
industries and founded the Pennsylvania Power and Light Company, General
Trexler began purchasing small farms in the low hills of Lehigh County in 1906.
By 1913, he had transported eight bison and 20 Virginia white-tailed deer to
the preserve. The elk followed soon after.
When
General Trexler died in 1933, he bequeathed the property to the residents of
Lehigh County. Today, the Trexler Nature Preserve is open to the public for
passive recreation and nature watching.
The
American Bison was designated the first national mammal of the United States on
May 9, 2016. The majestic bison joins the bald eagle as a national symbol.
