Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo - Tupelo, Mississippi - Home of TUKOTA The WHITE BUFFALO

The Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo is proud to be the home of the White Buffalo "TUKOTA" (Too-ko-ta). A white buffalo is considered by the Sioux Indian tribes to be the most sacred living thing you could encounter.

There are several great legends by the Sioux tribes explaining the creation and the infrequent occurrence of the white buffalo. A white buffalo is so rare in fact that they only occur one time in five million births. This make "Tukota" one of our special animals here at the Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo.

Because the white buffalo is sacred we held a name contest. We would like to thank everyone who entered the contest. And we would like to congratulate Mrs. Mills's fourth grade class at Rankin Elementary School for being the winner of the contest. The letter below is the one submitted by the class. It explains the reason for the name and just how special Tukota is to us.

01/10/02

Leanne Franklin
Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo
P.O. Box 2530
Tupelo, MS 38803

Dear Mrs. FranklinOur class is so excited about the white buffalo, the naming contest,
and the addition of the park to our fair city. Some of our students have been to visit already and have given reports, but they came before the white buffalo. We did some internet research and some brainstorming for a name.
One source said that a white buffalo occurs only one time in five-million born. WE WERE AMAZED. How nice for Tupelo that we have one.We also discovered that this buffalo was and is very sacred to the
Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota tribes (Sioux). We think he should be named Tukota. Tu for Tupelo and kota in honor of the Sioux tribes. It should be pronounce Too-ko-ta, with the emphasis on the ko.We are in the middle of a unit on the Rainforest but, my students have been sidetracked by this buffalo. They are checking out buffalo books from the library and doing research at home for extra credit. Thank you for bringing an educational experience home to us.

    Mrs. Mills
    Fourth Grade Class
    Rankin Elementary

05/17/2008

Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo • 2272 North Coley Road • Tupelo, MS 38803
662-844-8709 • or + 1-866-27BISON • Fax: 662-844-8850
Email us at info@tupelobuffalopark.com

website by

Gibens Creative Group