A stunning video shows the moment a herd of wood bison thundered into the Alaskan wilderness, the culmination of a decades-long effort to reintroduce the shaggy animals into the United States.
The herd of 100 cows and young bison were released near Shageluk, Alaska, on Friday by the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC) and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
The AWCC has cultivated the herd since the first 13 bison were brought in from Canada in 2003, in hopes of reestablishing a wood bison population in the U.S. The huge animals, which can weigh up to 2,250 pounds, have been extinct in Alaska for more than 100 years due to overhunting and habitat loss.
This group of rumbling pioneers, who were flown to the release site on a cargo plane, have been outfitted with radio collars and will be closely monitored for the first few years to ensure their nascent herd is thriving.
As the video shows, they were led out of their temporary pens and across the frozen Innoko River by biologist Tom Seaton's snowmobile; the bison were conditioned to follow the snowmobile during their time at AWCC after learning that it handed out food.
The cows, many of whom are pregnant, and young bison will be joined by some of the adult males shortly. Biologists were concerned that placing angry bulls on a plane wasn't the best idea, so they'll be brought in by boat a few months down the road.
The herd of 100 cows and young bison were released near Shageluk, Alaska, on Friday by the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC) and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
The AWCC has cultivated the herd since the first 13 bison were brought in from Canada in 2003, in hopes of reestablishing a wood bison population in the U.S. The huge animals, which can weigh up to 2,250 pounds, have been extinct in Alaska for more than 100 years due to overhunting and habitat loss.
This group of rumbling pioneers, who were flown to the release site on a cargo plane, have been outfitted with radio collars and will be closely monitored for the first few years to ensure their nascent herd is thriving.
As the video shows, they were led out of their temporary pens and across the frozen Innoko River by biologist Tom Seaton's snowmobile; the bison were conditioned to follow the snowmobile during their time at AWCC after learning that it handed out food.
The cows, many of whom are pregnant, and young bison will be joined by some of the adult males shortly. Biologists were concerned that placing angry bulls on a plane wasn't the best idea, so they'll be brought in by boat a few months down the road.
VIDEO
Holy moly that's a scary sight to have behind you.
I can't imagine what the plane ride was like, but it's wonderful to see them in the snow. I hope they all have long lives... including the guy on the snowmobile. He has quite a following.
So, just how to you stop them from following the snowmobile back from wherever he's leading them?
What a glorious sight….!
For how long and when will the feedings continue? Are they going to intervene when there is illness or injury? If they've been conditioned to follow a snowmobile for feeding; how will they learn to forage on their own and what happens if someone inadvertently runs through their path?
Wow! Fantastic sight. I hope the reintroduction ends as a long term success.
Fantastic! But how do cultivate a genetically healthy herd with only 13 contributors?
Some stories in the world are very good,this is one such.
its always amazing and wonderful to see animals go from extinct to thriving in their natural habitat, what a thunderous day that must have been, my kind of thunder, live on bison live on
Good job :)
longue vie au troupeau et prospère !!!
Wonderful, ,,,beautiful animals ,back in the wild ..
If they disappeared because of habitat loss, how much habitat will they have now? I think sometimes nature should be let alone and allow to determine it's own course. I feel sorry for these guys and their progeny.
Hmmmm. Habitat loss and over-hunting. What part of this just sucks ass big time??? I'd love to watch the documentary on how the USA has rectified Alaskas "habitat loss". Oh,- so no such film exists?? Then, that just leaves "over-hunting", on the table. So, in essence, Canada has so thoughtfully donated so many bison to the USA so they can once again go out and kill them all. Once again. Because that seems to be all Americans are good at. Killing. And wiping out animal species with little regard for tomorrow. Wish they'd just turn on themselves and be done with it. The world would be a much safer place without them.....
This is amazingly important and beautiful.
Hard to believe that someone can see this and their first thoughts are negative.
Don't let the Trump punks know about this. They along with Sarah Palin will fly over in helicopters to kill them.Scum that they are.
What an awe-inspiring sight to see these animals, that many of us thought were gone forever. Thank you to those who carefully nurtured them and brought them back to Alaska.
At First Contact, Wood Buffalo were in The Ohio Valley Region. To see this happening anywhere on Turtle Island makes my Heart glad.
Majestic, beautiful, divine, go my sweet babies.
So exciting to see these amazing creatures returned to wild. I just love it!
It appears this happened in 2015 - so how are they doing now?
What a glorious site to see them moving to a safe, new home!
its deffinitly a beautiful sight!
Too many negative comments, shut up and support them
Such a beautiful sight to watch.
It's no wonder that they came thundering in!
Removed from their familiar home, endured a plane journey, penned up in a strange location then released bewildered, scared and confused! And all so man can say they have reintroduced the species to this location... even though they will still be reliant on man to survive
I hope this is it and man has learned to bloody leave them alone so another herd doesn't have to go through that journey again!