A herd of 31 bison, are now freely roaming the Banff National Park.

The brand new herd were originally from Elk River in the Kootenay region of BC , and were slowly reintroduced into Banff, by allowing them to grow and settle in an enclosed area in the Banff National Park starting in 2017.

On Thursday August 2 2018, they have been completely set free to hopefully thrive and re-populate the area.

Bison have historically called the park area home, but by the time the Banff National Park was established in 1885, Bison were completely absent from the area, after being over-hunted.

Parks Canada Spokesman Bill Hunt, says he is confident the herd will be an excellent addition to the park.

"The Bison will play an important role in keeping the ecosystem healthy at the Banff National Park."

The new herd have been outfitted with GPS tags, so that park workers and researchers can measure their progress and movements throughout their newly settled land.

The National Park has stated they aim to continually monitor the bisons progress, and will be continually aiding them in their new venture.

 

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