Parks Canada says wild plains bison that were reintroduced to Banff National Park are now officially free-roaming animals.
Officials say 31 bison were released into a 1,200 square-kilometre zone along the park’s eastern slopes that features meadows and grassy valleys for grazing.
The animals disappeared from the region before the national park was created in 1885.
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Sixteen plains bison from Elk Island National Park were reintroduced in February 2017 into the remote Panther River Valley, about 40 kilometres north of Banff.
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Ten of the females had calves last year and five of those animals gave birth again this year.
Parks Canada says it will keep a close eye on the herd through electronic monitoring and staff on the ground.
There’s also fencing in the area to keep the bison from wandering out of the park.
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