Cowboys and cowgirls stage rare bison roundup in South Dakota

South Dakota cowboys and cowgirls rounded up a herd of more than 1,500 bison on Friday 29 September as part of an annual effort to maintain the health of the species, which has rebounded from near-extinction.

Visitors from across the world cheered from behind wire fencing as whooping horseback riders chased the thundering, woolly giants across hills and grasslands in Custer State Park.

Bison and their calves stopped occasionally to graze on blond grass and roll on the ground, their sharp hooves stirring up dust clouds.

Each year Custer State Park holds one of the nation’s few bison roundups to check the health of the bovines and vaccinate calves.