On the loose! Real stories of Golden Gate Park’s bison

Photo courtesy of SF Gate.

Freya, Samuel, and Meredith are not the first bison to stage a clever and courageous escape from their pen. In San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, there is a long history of bison exploring the world beyond their paddock—whether or not they received assistance from any dogs, birds, squirrels, raccoons, goats, or even ducks.

In 1924, nearly 20 bison escaped from the paddock when one brave bison named Portland, charged the fence and knocked it over. He and his friends broke from their captivity and roamed around the nearby Richmond district, trampling residents’ gardens and lawns, wandering the city streets, and even climbing on top of porches. It took 12 hours and 30 police officers to round them back up again.

In 1932, two bison toppled the fence together but remained near the paddock, lounging on the grass. They were discovered the next morning and returned to the other side of the then-repaired fence.

In 1942, while park officials were moving the herd, Annie, a large female bison, charged from the group and was captured soon after on Fulton Street.

Read more about these bison, their escapes, and their history in Golden Gate Park here in SF Gate and here in SF Chronicle.

Photo courtesy of SF Chronicle.