In 2017, Parks Canada released 16 plains bison into Banff National Park, beginning a carefully monitored effort to restore the animals to a landscape where they had been absent for more than a century. The herd was initially kept in a soft-release pasture before being allowed to roam across a 1,200-square-kilometre reintroduction zone in 2018. What followed was rapid population growth and years of tracking as scientists monitored the bison's health, movements and use of their new mountain habitat. According to a Parks Canada report, the population rose from 16 animals in February 2017 to 26 by the end of that year, 65 by 2021, and about 80 by autumn 2022. The five-year pilot recorded an average annual population growth rate of 33%. GPS and radio-collar monitoring also showed how the herd explored its surroundings, gradually establishing more predictable movement patterns while remaining largely within the designated reintroduction zone. Researchers also documented the bison’s interactions with vegetation and other wildlife, helping assess their wider ecological role. The project provided valuable information about managing a growing herd and offered insights that could guide future conservation and restoration efforts across the Canadian Rockies.
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