Sixteen bison got an airlift when Parks Canada transported them by helicopter to Banff National Park, where it is hoped they will establish the first wild bison herd to roam that land in 140 years. The bison were loaded into shipping containers and released into an enclosed pasture, where they’ll be monitored for 16 months. After that, they’ll be released on their own into the ecosystem.
Submitted by Murray C. and Andrew Y. Full story at CBC News.
Wow! Big props to the Canadians! That was a very cool video.
My fave parts:
1. bison hooves skidding to a stop and then hearing “thud”.
2. Canadians with arms in air cheering when bison make lift off
3. bison hightailing it out of storage containers
Lastly, how awesome is it that bison is both singular and plural? I love when nouns work out like that.
If more nouns were like that, then think about how much smarter everyone on Facebook would be? 🙂
And all the rules about noun/verb agreement could be thrown out! I say full steam ahead!
I love when humans do good for nature. Gives me hope. 🙂
I don’t think they say so in the video, but it’s mostly pregnant bison mummies, too! So they will hopefully grow the herd fast and then we’ll have wild bison back in their once-natural habitat!
It took me a second to parse what you meant by mummies. I was briefly alarmed.
Oh, give me a home…?
That’s the state song of Kansas (my state).
oh that’s where a deer and an antelope play? 🙂 So cute!
(this is all I remember apart from the melody, I hope it is the same song even)
Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam
Where the deer and the antelope play
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word
And the skies are not cloudy all day
Home, home on the range
Where the deer and the antelope play,
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word,
And the skies are not cloudy all day.
There are other verses, but this is the part that most people know.
Yay, thank you, Patty 🙂
I started singing it and the cats ran for cover 🙂
I was thinking about this song all day today, I could not recall where I know it from.
Now I remember that I learnt it from American students at a summer camp many moons ago. It was disguised as a language practice camp, which I badly needed as I had learnt English alone from books. Then it turned out it was a religious camp where they wanted us to find a way to God. Unfortunately the pubs were closer. 🙂
Well done, Canada! ♥♥
Buffalo wild wings?
LOL!!
The landscape – wow just wow. I will pretend to be a pregnant bison or bidaughter, I must see those mountains once 🙂
I see what you did there 😀
Banff if the only place I’ve been to in all of my trips where you can stand and hold up a postcard of the scenic view and it’s is EXACTLY the same! Usually the postcard has better colours or force perspective but not Banff. The whole place is breathtaking.
And so is Lake Louise (57 km west of Banff) if you think no lake can really be that colour, believe me I’ve been there and it is!!
Wow…stunning!
Is that a fjord? Because I’m pining for it.
Nope. “Just” a lake. Lake Louise. It is amazing!! Used to be on the back of the $20 bill, but it just didn’t do the real view any justice.
“And I think to myself, what a wonderful world….” This video is so lovely and gives me hope.
“Dammit, no seats, no in-flight snacks and no toilet facilities…that’s the last time I use this cheapjack airline!”
I agree the bison hooves skidding was awesome. Love the “garden hose” attached to their horns to keep things a little safer. It is amazing that helicopters could lift so much weight.
I was so impressed by the helicopter that I did a search:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coaxial_rotors
I think they used a coaxial rotor helicopter for the extra lift necessary. I want one.
What I’ve read is that the horn protectors will remain in place until the bison wear them off naturally, by rubbing on trees and other surfaces.
Lovely! I think I will see if I can start a movement for Virginia to secede to Canada…
This is beautiful! I cried.
I know nothing about bison husbandry (or wifery, if we are practicing gender-equal puns), but does the dead of winter in northern Canada seem like an odd time to ask semi-domesticated animals to adapt to a new environment? I guess if it’s an enclosed pasture maybe they’ll be dropping some hay for them?
Also, if it’s so remote they had to deliver them by helicopter (because there are no roads?) how did the humans arrive to let them out of the containers? Did they copter in also? The helicopters seem like showing off. But with as much as copter flights cost and as broke as most environmental efforts usually are, I’m sure they were necessary. I just can’t figure why.
You raise some really interesting questions! And my suggested answers are just guesses based on what I’ve read of this fascinating news story. The bison seem to have come from a “protected herd”, so they didn’t receive too much help living their lives before they were moved to their new location. Though they did undergo tests to make sure they weren’t carrying diseases that bison may have. And it is a soft release, so there will be some monitoring and support if they have difficulties finding food and water. People can move by other means in the park — snowmobiles and horses being just two I can think of quickly. Bison, being huge and heavy, would have been difficult to move through the terrain on the ground. Particularly because they have sought a remote area in the park for the soft release. But isn’t it a wonderful thing? And done especially with the Canada Parks “150” celebration in mind!
I had not thought of snowmobiles or horses. That’s a good point. Thanks for the reply.
This story is a lot of “Bull” (Moo)