Bison Comeback: Iconic Plains Species Returns To Illinois
By Heather Sadusky
Aside from Chicago, the state of Illinois boasts a quintessential prairie landscape. Or at least, it did at one point.
It's no secret that the Midwest has lost countless acres of its classic prairie and plains environment, largely including bison.
The enormous, iconic species was all but wiped out in the 20th Century from over-hunting and habitat loss.
But the Nature Conservancy has been working for two decades to reintroduce bison to the Great Plains of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Nebraska.
Now, it's Illinois' turn.
Just this past weekend, bison returned to Nachusa Grasslands just two hours outside of Chicago. The population came from the United States' last pure strain of bison, a herd from the Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota.
As the Nachusa herd grows and mixes with others, the diversity will strengthen the bison's genetics.
A total of 30 animals will be part of this initial herd, a number that could eventually reach over 100.
Preparation began last summer when Nature Conservancy staff constructed the bison corral that will host the animals upon arrival, and extensively studied the existing environment which will later be compared to the changes created by the bison.
Just a few weeks ago in late September, team members went to the Broken Kettle preserve in Iowa to round up the herd that would be transported.
Bison are somewhat of a keystone species in the prairie environment, and their return will hugely assist the restoration effort. Their natural behavior, grazing and digging up the ground, helps spread seeds, encourage biodiversity, and maintain the landscape of the prairie for other organisms to flourish. The new bison herd will be allowed to graze 1500 acres of the Nachusa preserve.
By spring 2015, visitors will be able to observe the bison in their north preserve grazing lands. Maybe then, after sweeping conservation efforts, we can feel genuine in calling Illinois the Prairie State.
More about bison's return to Nachusa Grasslands on PBS tonight at 7p.
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