Parks Canada is celebrating the expected addition of nine baby bison to the park’s growing herd.
At least nine of the 10 female bison in the paddock are expecting calves this year, Parks Canada said in a post on the bison blog.
Veterinarians were able to do pregnancy checks on the expectant mothers while teams were out in the field attaching radio collars and ear tag transmitters to many of the animals, the blog says.
Baby bison births could start as early as April, with calves emerging into the summer months.
Parks Canada said while staff is excited to welcome the calves, it’s important to remember that not all babies will necessarily be brought to full-term.
“But if all the calves are born successfully, it could bring the herd’s number to 35 animals – a long way from the initial 16 bison that arrived in Banff last February,” the blog reads.
Last April, the herd’s first calves were born in the Panther Valley, making them the first to be born in the park in more than 140 years. In total, 10 calves were born in the park last year.
The bison were first introduced to their Banff environment in February 2017 after being transferred from Elk Island National Park.
Currently, they live in a fenced-in area, however that fencing is expected to be removed this summer and the herd will be truly wild.
Watch from February 2018: It has been an interesting year for a herd of bison settling into their new home in Banff National Park. Sarah Offin takes a look at what is next for the herd.
Comments