Parks Canada officials are trying to determine what’s next for a herd of plains bison in Banff National Park after a draft report shows its reintroduction in the park’s backcountry has been successful.
The report on a five-year project, published online earlier this week, says the bison herd in the national park in Alberta has grown to more than 80 animals from the 16 that were relocated in 2017 from Elk Island National Park near Edmonton.
Parks Canada declined an interview request, but the report on the project says it has worked.
“The five-year pilot represents the most recent efforts of Parks Canada in supporting the recovery of plains bison and has identified that Banff National Park is a feasible location where bison can successfully exist on the landscape,” it says. “The five-year bison reintroduction pilot set a strong foundation of knowledge and practice to support long-term feasibility….