BANFF, Alta. – Bison are once again grazing along the remote eastern slopes of Banff National Park after a more than century-long absence.
Parks Canada announced Monday it has moved 16 of the animals to the mountainous landscape that vast herds of the species once roamed for thousands of years.
The herd selected earlier this year for the $6.4-million project consists of 10 pregnant young cows and six young bulls.
It may seem like a lot of work and money for the number of bison involved, but it’s worth it, said project manager Karsten Heuer.
“Really this is a long-term project and it’s a long-term investment that Parks Canada’s making now,” he said.
“This is a seed of a conservation herd that could grow here and contribute to both national and global bison conservation.”
The ruminants had been living in Elk Island National Park east of Edmonton, the main source of animals for reintroduction projects around the world.
Indigenous communities were involved in the project along the way and traditional blessings were given at both the beginning and end of the journey.
Before their departure, the bison were quarantined for three weeks to check for disease.
They were collared and tagged and pieces of rubber hose were duct-taped to the animals’ horns to make sure they didn’t poke each other along the way, Heuer said.
The beasts were loaded three or four at a time into five customized shipping containers, which were places onto five flatbed trucks.
The trucks drove 400 kilometres throughout the night last week to a ranch at the end of a dirt road just outside Banff.
A staffer watching the animals overnight played some Mozart music for them, Heuer said.
They next morning, the bison were hoisted up in their crates by rope hanging from a helicopter and flown about 15 minutes away to their new digs — a 182,000-square metre enclosed pasture.
Heuer said the animals didn’t seem any worse for wear as they exited the containers, with some trotting around and starting to feed right away.
“By end of that first afternoon, they were drinking and some of the young bulls were even rubbing horns and bucking playfully. So it was just amazing to us to see how fast they settled,” he said.
“They fit in as if they were meant to be there all along.”
The herd will be penned in the pasture for about 16 months and closely monitored by Parks Canada staff.
That’s enough time for the cows to give birth a couple of times. Research has shown that the animals tend to get attached to the area where they calved for the first time, Heuer said.
The bison are to be released in the summer of 2018 into an 1,200-square-kilometre zone in a remote area of the park that has no road access, reclaiming their historic role in the ecosystem. The region has grassy meadows that will become healthier once the bison start grazing, said Heuer.
Environment Minister Catherine McKenna said it’s the perfect way to mark the 150th anniversary of Confederation.
“By returning plains bison to Banff National Park, Parks Canada is taking an important step towards restoring the full diversity of species and natural processes to the park’s ecosystems while providing new opportunities for Canadians and visitors to connect with the story of this iconic species,” she said in a release.
— by Lauren Krugel in Calgary
