The wood bison headed for Russia were all born last year and rounded up from Elk Island National Park outside Edmonton.
Currently in quarantine, the bison have been checked for diseases, vaccinated and treated for parasites. To get them into fine form, they have been feasting on hay, alfalfa cubes and molasses loaded with vitamins and drinking a sort of bison "Gatorade," Reynolds said.
They will travel in trailers lined with non-slip rubber matting to their new 194,000-acre home at the Lenskiye-Stolby Nature Park on the southern edge of the republic where no hunting is allowed.
Eventually, the herd will be split in two and some relocated again to the Orto-Saala region further north.
Other bison from Elk Island have in the past been relocated within North America to repopulate herds, Reynolds said.
"However, this trip to Russia will definitely be the furthest any bison has ever roamed," he said.
Name: American Bison (
Bison bison)
Primary Classification: Bovidae (Cattle and Relatives)
Location: Western Canada and northwestern United States
Habitat: Prairies and open woodlands
Diet: Grasses, grasslike plants, berries, lichens and horsetails
Size: Up to 13 ft in length, 6.5 ft in heigh and 2,200 lbs in weight.
Description: Shaggy, brownish-black hair on head, neck, shoulders and forelegs; light brown hair on hindquarters; large, heavy head; short, upturned horns; bearded chin; shoulder hump on males
Cool Facts: It is the largest mammal native to the western hemisphere. The plains bison was reduced to 541 individuals in 1887 by hunting; since then, it has recovered.
Conservation Status: Lower Risk (Conservation Dependent)
Major Threat(s): Habitat loss
What Can I Do?: Visit the
National Wildlife Federation and
Buffalo Field Campaign for information on how you can help.
