GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Sept. 17, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — Bison from the Grand Canyon have been relocated to the Sioux Nation.
Grand Canyon wildlife managers have successfully relocated 100 bison from the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, according to a Monday news release. All bison were transferred to the Intertribal Buffalo Council, which transported them to the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in South Dakota.
Since reduction efforts began in 2018, park staff have removed 306 bison from the North Rim, with 282 transferred to eight different American Indian tribes through an agreement with the Intertribal Buffalo Council, the National Park Service said.
In 2014, the NPS initiated a science-based planning process to manage bison overpopulation at Grand Canyon National Park. By 2017, using the best available science and working closely with the public, the state of Arizona, and American Indian tribes, park managers finalized the Initial Bison Herd Reduction Plan. The 2024 summer population estimate for the herd was approximately 378 animals. The goal is to reduce the herd to 200.
More information can be found in the full news release here.
