Catalina’s Most Overlooked Film Stars! How Did They Get There? by Steve Tabor
Catalina’s Most Overlooked Film Stars!
How Did They Get There?
by Steve Tabor
California’s mild climate, consistently sunny days and open spaces were quite an incentive for film studios to relocate from their New York locations to Southern California. Once in California, filmmakers frequently used Southern California and the western states as backdrops for their films about the adventures of America’s Western Expansion.
In 1924, Paramount Studios and director, George B. Seitz, created a film, “The Vanishing American”, based on a Zane Grey novel. Although much of the film was shot in Arizona’s Monument Valley, a small segment of the film was shot on Santa Catalina Island. Besides their filmmaking equipment, the production company brought 14 bison to the island to shoot selected scenes. When they wrapped up their production, the film crew and their equipment headed back to Hollywood, but left the 14 bison behind. Sadly, the bison did not make the final cut of the film and their Hollywood careers ended on the editing room floor. However, they have become icons on the Island.
After being left behind, the bison managed to survive by adapting their appetites to the limited growths of grass, coastal sage scrub plants and other plants not considered typical bison cuisine. Surprisingly, not only did the herd continue to survive, but they managed to reproduce. In 1934, an additional 9 bison were introduced to the island’s population. Over time, another 36 animals were brought from the mainland to the Island. Population estimates in 1969, placed the herd’s size at nearly 400 individual animals.
In 1972, William Wrigley’s son, Phillip Wrigley, established the Catalina Island Conservancy placing nearly 88% percent of island, nearly 42,000 acres, under the care of the non-profit to preserve Catalina’s wildlands. Tony Budrovich, Chief Executive Officer of the Catalina Island Conservancy, states “One of their tasks managing an open space nature preserve was to assess the status of the bison on the island and the impact they had on the island itself.” Studies (Sweitzer, et al.) showed that the bison were slightly smaller in weight and stature compared to their mainland counterparts.
The Conservancy continued to monitor the number of bison on the island. At various points in time, they would ship some of the bison off the island for auction on the mainland. By 2003, it is estimated that 1,900 individual bison had been removed from the Island.
In 2001, the Conservancy partnered with scientists from the University of North Dakota, Louisiana State University and University of California Davis to study the bison herd and its influence on their Catalina habitat. The study revealed that ideally the Island could support a bison population of 150 to 200 animals with minimal impact to the island’s habitat. In 2003, the Conservancy, with funding from the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, began to repatriate some of the Island’s bison to the Rosebud Lakota Sioux living on the Rosebud Reservation near Todd County in South Dakota. Between 2003 to 2009, the Conservancy with the support of the Defense of Animals, an animal advocacy organization, arranged for 350 bison to relocate to the Rosebud Reservation to live out their remaining years.
After arriving in South Dakota, reports indicated that the bison gained weight, but their actual growth remained stunted. However, the calves born in South Dakota from the Island bison managed to grow to a similar size and stature compared to the mainland bison. However, the Catalina bison tended to live longer and were overall healthier than most other bison.
During the project, Conservancy staff members and scientists researched methods to better manage the size of the herd without the financial and physical stresses of removing bison from the Island. The Conservancy’s goal was to reduce the annual number of births and in the long term, stabilize the overall number of bison on the island. In 2010, the Conservancy turned to a contraceptive vaccine to use on the female bison. Porcine Zona Pellucida (PZP) is a non-hormonal contraceptive that has demonstrated not to negatively affect mating habits and other herd social structures as well as the health and behaviors of the female recipients. According to Conservancy staff, in 2011, following the use of contraceptive the number of births were dramatically reduced. Estimates indicate the current bison herd consists of approximately 100 individuals with no births in at least seven years. According to Budrovich, “PZP is a good example that predicting reproductive science can be tough. Science suggested births would return in 1 to 2 years following the PZP vaccinations.” The Conservancy staff is evaluating the herds status and their next steps to manage the herd.
It is important to note, that although the Conservancy does not actively contain the bison, there are efforts to keep the population in the interior areas and away from Avalon, Two Harbors and some environmentally protected areas.
Visitors are always cautioned that although the bison appear to be docile. They can weigh up to 1,000 pounds and can run as fast as 35 miles per hour. They are wild animals and can cause serious physical harm. They should not be approached or provoked and should be enjoyed from a distance of at least 125 feet with personal safety always in mind.
Hikers and bike riders will often see bison as they progress across the Trans Catalina Trail (TCT) or on the bike paths. Non-hikers may see bison during interior bus and eco-tours. For information about interior tours, contact the Catalina Island Conservancy or the Catalina Island Company.
What’s the Difference Between a Bison and Buffalo?
According to the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, the names are frequently interchanged, but there is a true difference between the two creatures. The Cape Buffalo and Water Buffalo are true buffalo and are native to Africa and Asia.
Bison are native to North America and Europe. Bison have smaller horns, humps at their shoulders and bigger heads. Their coats grow thicker in the winter and shed during the spring. More distinctly, bison have beards.
In addition to the herd on Santa Catalina, they can be found in parts of Canada stretching from Ontario to the Northwest Territories. In the United States herds are found in Arizona, California, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Alaska and South Dakota.
Bison are grazers primarily eating grasses, but will consume flowering plants, lichen and woody plant leaves.
Steve Tabor Bio
This South Bay native’s photographic journey began after receiving his first 35mm film camera upon earning his Bachelor of Arts degree. Steve began with photographing coastal landscapes and marine life. As a classroom teacher he used photography to share the world and his experiences with his students. Steve has expanded his photographic talents to include portraits and group photography, special event photography as well as live performance and athletics. Steve serves as a volunteer ranger for the Catalina Island Conservancy and uses this opportunity to document the flora and fauna of the island’s interior as well as photograph special events and activities.
Watch for Steve Tabor Images on the worldwide web.