'Virtually unprecedented': Banff bison roaming free for first time in 140 years

Wild and free. That’s the new life for a herd of 31 plains bison which have finally been fully reintroduced to the backcountry of Banff National Park for the first time in 140 years. “These are not a captive display herd. These are wild bison,” said Bill Hunt, resource conservation manager with Parks Canada.“This is virtually unprecedented. If we look at the largest land mammal in North America, it’s been gone from Banff National Park for over 140 years, and just the role that bison play in the ecosystem, makes this even more significant than perhaps many other species that we work on in the park.” The reintroduction of wild bison in the 1,200 square-kilometre area in the Banff backcountry of Panther Valley has been a $6.4-million project years in the making.