A rare white buffalo sacred to Native Americans has not been seen since its birth on June 4

Yellowstone National Park officials said Friday that a rare white bison sacred to Native Americans has not been seen since its birth June 4.

The birth of the white buffalo in the wild, which fulfilled a Lakota prophecy that portended better times, was the first recorded in Yellowstone’s history and marks a milestone in the ecocultural recovery of bison, park officials said in confirming the birth for the first time.

This is an extremely rare event: a white buffalo is born once in a million births, or even less frequently, the park said.

It is unclear whether the calf, named Wakan Gli, meaning “Sacred Return” in Lakota, is still alive.

Every spring, about one in five calves die shortly after birth due to natural disasters, but park officials declined to answer questions directly about whether authorities believe any of them died.

They confirmed its birth after receiving photos and reports from several park visitors, professional wildlife observers, commercial guides and researchers. But since June 4, park staff have been unable to find it and authorities are unaware of any other confirmed sightings.

Native American leaders held a ceremony earlier this week to honor the sacred birth of the white buffalo and give it its name.