Juneau, Alaska (ADFG) – In the ongoing collaborative effort between Canada and Alaska, an additional 40 wood bison from Elk Island National Park in Alberta, Canada, recently arrived in Alaska.
This transfer will help restore wood bison to its historical range in Alaska and ensure the survival of this iconic species by establishing separate herds on the wild landscape.
The yearling bison were transported by truck and arrived in Fairbanks on April 19.
They are healthy and are settling into their new temporary home at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks Large Animal Research Station (LARS).
There were already 10 wood bison at LARS from a 2022 import, and these older bison immediately began interacting with the new bison. Bison are very social, so these interactions are an indication that they are quickly adjusting.
The wood bison currently at LARS and some of the bison at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC) are expected to be transported to the Minto Flats State Game Refuge in July and August of this year.
They will be held there in an enclosure for the winter and released around green-up in the spring of 2025. The Minto Flats Refuge is well suited for bison because of its vast wet sedge meadows, the preferred winter food of wood bison, and winter wind and relatively low snowfall that tends to keep the forage accessible throughout the winter.
