Posted 2/06/2005 03:09:00 PM by Douglas

And to think, something in Texas is actually going to benefit from some of Ted Turner's genetic material.

The rumble from stampeding bison used to shake the earth as thousands of the majestic animals thundered across these parts centuries ago.

That sound has faded almost entirely now, and the fate of one of the last pure herds in North America - begun by famed cattleman Charles Goodnight - rests with a trio of bulls donated by media tycoon Ted Turner.

The herd, once 250 strong, has dwindled to 53, and more than a century of inbreeding threatens its survival. The herd's average age has increased by three years - bison typically live between 12 to 15 years - and the number of calves has dropped in recent years. Nine were born last year.

With the donation of Turner's bulls, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Texas A&M University's College of Veterinarian Medicine hope to strengthen the herd and preserve an animal that symbolizes the American West.

Generations of inbreeding is a bad thing? Hell, just look at Europe for an answer to that question.