Bison Reintroduced To Canada's Banff Thrive Again

Banff, Canada, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Jun, 2023 ) :Wild bison that once numbered in the tens of millions in North America before being hunted almost to extinction are once again thriving in a pocket of western Canada.

Appearing from a distance as specks against the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, these animals are also restoring balance at the top of a fragile ecosystem.

North America's largest land mammal -- growing to 900 kilograms (2,000 Pounds) and 1.8 meters (six feet) high at the shoulders -- suffered a dramatic decline in late 19th century due to hunting and habitat loss as settlers pushed westward.

They were reintroduced to what is now Banff National Park in 2017.

"The moment the bison set foot on that landscape, it felt to me that I brought them home," says Wes Olson, who accompanied the first 16 bison to be released there.

Transferred by helicopter from a biosphere reserve near Edmonton, Alberta, the population has exploded and new births are expected to push their numbers to 100 by year's end.

A Parks Canada report published this week concluded that the reintroduction was a success, and it suggested that due to their robust growth rate, this bison subpopulation -- one of only five that occupy a mere 0.5 percent of their original range in North America -- may no longer be considered endangered within a decade.

As soon as they arrived, Olson says, the ancient ecosystem was suddenly reactivated and the bison appeared to feel right at home, while other forest creatures quickly and "intrinsically" reestablished a symbiotic relationship.