Officials with Parks Canada say a plan to return bison to the ecosystem of Banff National Park has been an enormous success, marking the animals’ triumphant return to the area.
It’s been one year since crews flew in a group of 16 plains bison into a remote area of the park and officials say they have adapted well to the change of scenery.
On February 1, 2017, the animals were moved from Elk Island National Park, east of Edmonton, to the Panther Valley, an area of Banff that is about 40 km from the nearest trailhead in any direction.
Since then, 10 of the pregnant bison have given birth to healthy calves that have all acclimatized very well to the region.
Parks Canada says the goal of the project is to contribute to national and international bison conservation efforts.
The agency also says that the reintroduction of bison to the park will renew cultural and historical connections for many First Nations groups as well.
It’s been 100 years since bison have been in the park, after over-hunting of the populations left fewer than 1,000 bison in the whole continent.
The next phase of the project, planned for this summer, will involve a full release and reintroduction of the bison onto the remote eastern slopes of Banff National Park.
You can watch a short video from Parks Canada on the reintroduction of bison to Banff National Park here.
