The bison or buffalo as we refer to them, became an iconic symbol of the Great Plains. They are the largest majestic and formidable mammal living in Canada. Tens of millions of bison once freely roamed the plains and were critically important to the Indigenous People. 

By the early 1900’s, the settlers had nearly wiped the great buffalo herds to extinction. In 1906, the Canadian Government purchased one of the last surviving herds from a First Nation’s reservation in Montana and they were moved to Wood Buffalo National Park in northern Alberta

                                                                                                          Rocken Zen Rodeo Fotographix

FAQ's

Is it Bison or Buffalo?

Scientifically, the true name for the North American Buffalo is "Bison" - but because our history has ingrained in us the name Buffalo, we still use it today.

In 2016, the bison was named the National Mammal of the United States of America. In 2017, after a 140-year absence a majestic herd of 16 iconic bison were reintroduced to Banff National Park.

 

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News provided by Parks Canada

February 12^th, 2020 

 

Quotes:

The Government of Canada is committed to the recovery of bison. The survival of bison from near-extinction is one of Canada's conservation success stories, which has established populations of plains and wood bison across North America. This conservation initiative is an important step in ensuring bison continue to thrive for generations to come, and helps strengthen Indigenous peoples' connections to their history and traditions."

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson,
Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada