Interview with Mary Ann (Molly) Goodnight

A Character in Palo Duro

By Max Knight

You have been credited with saving the buffalo on the Southern Plains. Can you tell me why you got involved in this effort?

When my husband Charles and I first moved to West Texas, the annual migration of the buffalo herds extended across the plains as far as the eye could see. The buffalo numbered in the millions and their movement caused huge dust clouds to form that looked like an advancing storm. The earth shook, and the sound resembled thunder. It was both frightening and exhilarating, but in less than a decade their numbers were reduced to less than five-hundred.
 

How did such a drastic reduction occur in so short a time?

For a time, the buffalo hides became fashionable back east and in Europe. A great many animals were killed simply because of human vanity. However, even after the fad ran its course, our government encouraged the buffalo hunters to continue slaughtering the buffalo to deprive Native Americans of their primary source of food and shelter. It was a strategy designed to end the Indians’ nomadic lifestyle and force them onto the reservations.
 

Didn’t your husband attempt to cross-breed the remaining buffalo with cattle?

Charles was a cattleman whose business was to provide meat to northern and eastern markets. Both his Longhorn cattle and the buffalo had proven that they could survive the harsh environmental conditions that exist in the plains… extreme heat and cold, the lack of water and forage, and winds that chafe both man and beast. He thought by mating the species, he could create an even more resilient breed. He called them “cattalo.” The experiment didn’t work.
 

So, how did you manage to save and ultimately increase the buffalo population?

I asked my husband to bring in the calves so I could nurture and raise them.
 

Why the focus on the just the calves?

In many cases, the mother had been killed by hunters leaving the calf to either starve or become prey to other predatory animals. The calves would remain by the dead carcass of their mothers and their cries could be heard for miles. They were babies in need of love and caring, and I thought someone had to come to their aid.
 

Did your efforts succeed right away?

No. The calves had to be hand fed by bottle at first, and many simply couldn’t or wouldn’t make the transition. A large number died. However, I kept trying and in time some of them survived, mated, and produced offspring. Those offspring multiplied and today, though nowhere near the numbers that once existed, they are again roaming free in some of our state and national parks, giving new generations the opportunity to see them in their natural habitat.
 

Do you feel a sense of accomplishment or pride?

Absolutely. For me, the buffalo are representative of a bygone era. They are living history.