A herd of Alberta-born bison will reconnect with their American roots Monday when 88 calves are brought to pasture in Montana – a move designed to rebuild the species nearly obliterated by hunting over a century ago.
Millions of plains bison, also known as buffalo, once roamed free across North America, but their population whittled to around 1,000 in the late-1800s due to large-scale hunting.
“This animal was so close to extinction, it’s absolutely amazing that it has survived,” Stephen Flemming, superintendent of Elk Island National Park in Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., told CTV Edmonton.
Elk Island National Park, located about 40 kilometres east of Edmonton, is working to conserve the population. The Canadian park is home to a herd of genetically pure bison purchased from the U.S. more than 140 years ago.
On Monday, 88 descendants of the original U.S. herd will be relocated to their native plains at the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana, which has an estimated 400 bison.
Experts say the Canadian-raised bison are particularly valuable because they haven’t been interbred with any other species, such as cows. By the end of the summer, the calves are expected to weight up to 408 kilograms (900 lbs.).
“That’s why they’re in high demand. Disease-free, the original bison genes,” Flemming said.
The move stems from a 2014 treaty between tribes in the U.S. and Canada, with the goal to restore the population across the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains regions.
“They obviously are really good at fertilizing. But they also dig it up and create all these habitats for a whole suite of animals. So when you bring back bison, you bring back the whole prairie system,” Flemming said.
Tribal leaders in Canada will visit the bison calves one last time before the bison hit the road Monday.
In 2006, Canada was home to an estimated 195,728 bison, according to Statistics Canada, with Alberta home to about half of the Canadian population.
With files from the Canadian Press
