Beloved Yellowstone-Area Bison ‘Speedy’ Dies

By Bethanie H

Published

01/21/2025

A famous and beloved Yellowstone-area bison, Speedy, died at the end of last week at a wildlife sanctuary that cares for animals that cannot be released back into the wild. Speedy’s mother rejected her as a calf, since she was the smaller of two twins. She came to live at the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary in 2005, and she has been living a good life since then, wowing visitors who wanted to see one of these magnificent mammals up close without approaching them in the wild.

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“It is hard to find the words right now, but it is with the heaviest of hearts that we say goodbye to our beloved, Speedy,” wrote the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary in an Instagram post sharing the sad news. “Speedy was the longest lived resident at the Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary and an awe-inspiring ambassador for her species.”

The nonprofit says Speedy loved her human caretakers and all the apples they fed her. She will be remembered by all who cared for and interacted with her during her long life.

“Speedy was the happiest bison you’d ever seen,” wrote the sanctuary. “She enjoyed scratching on her Christmas trees, rolling in mulch piles, and even would get the occasional zooms. Even in her old age she maintained her bright and loving spirit.”

See Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary’s tribute to Speedy the bison, and a separate post dedicated to her from before she died, here: