Plains bison reintroduction

Wild bison return to Canada’s first national park

On February 1, 2017, Parks Canada made history. After missing from the wild for over a century, 16 bison were successfully translocated to the Panther Valley, in Banff National Park.

Their homecoming is an ecological, historic and cultural triumph and coincides with the 150th anniversary of Canada’s confederation.

This is the first step in the five-year project to inform decisions regarding restoring wild bison in Banff over the long-term.

Releasing bison © Dan Rafla / Parks Canada
Bison blog
Bison calf © Adam Zier-Vogel / Parks Canada
Bison 101
Bison standing in an aspen woodland © Stephen Edgerton / Parks Canada
Bison multimedia
Mature bison © Stephen Edgerton / Parks Canada
FAQ

What’s next?

  • Year 1 and 2 – Soft-release: The herd will be held in an enclosed pasture in the Panther Valley, so they can bond to their new home.
  • Years 3 to 5 – Free-roaming: In spring 2018, they will be released to explore the full ~1200 km2 reintroduction zone in the remote eastern slopes of Banff.
  • Throughout the project the herd will be closely monitored by Parks Canada.

Be part of the reintroduction journey!

  • Follow the bison story on our social channels
  • Join the conversation by using #banffbison.
  • Track updates from the field on our Bison Blog

For questions or more information contact:

Caroline Hedin
Banff Field Unit, Parks Canada
Caroline.Hedin@pc.gc.ca

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