Alone on the Prairie
Nothing symbolizes prairies and grasslands like buffalo (or bison). I hoped we could enjoy a view of these magnificent creatures, the largest mammals in North America, but we had visited areas of the park away from the buffalo herd. Finally, as we were about to exit the national park, we encountered two bulls near the road. This one preferred to roll in the dirt, eat grass, and graze. After viewing him for some time through my telephoto lens he eventually grazed into the position of a silhouette against bright morning sunbeams shining parallel to the valley behind.
From the Grasslands National Park website: "Plains bison were re-introduced to Grasslands National Park in December 2005, after 120 years of absence. Prior to European settlement, the prairies were home to tens of millions of free-roaming bison. Bison were both an ecological and cultural keystone species, shaping the grassland landscape through grazing and sustaining the Indigenous peoples that lived on the land. By the 1880's, the large herds that once roamed the Great Plains were driven to the brink of extinction by overhunting. The long process of re-introducing bison to the Canadian wild can be traced back to a few individuals that were captured and raised domestically across North America. In 2005, after consultation with stakeholders, neighbours and specialists, Grasslands National Park welcomed plains bison back to their home."
Alone on the Prairie
Nothing symbolizes prairies and grasslands like buffalo (or bison). I hoped we could enjoy a view of these magnificent creatures, the largest mammals in North America, but we had visited areas of the park away from the buffalo herd. Finally, as we were about to exit the national park, we encountered two bulls near the road. This one preferred to roll in the dirt, eat grass, and graze. After viewing him for some time through my telephoto lens he eventually grazed into the position of a silhouette against bright morning sunbeams shining parallel to the valley behind.
From the Grasslands National Park website: "Plains bison were re-introduced to Grasslands National Park in December 2005, after 120 years of absence. Prior to European settlement, the prairies were home to tens of millions of free-roaming bison. Bison were both an ecological and cultural keystone species, shaping the grassland landscape through grazing and sustaining the Indigenous peoples that lived on the land. By the 1880's, the large herds that once roamed the Great Plains were driven to the brink of extinction by overhunting. The long process of re-introducing bison to the Canadian wild can be traced back to a few individuals that were captured and raised domestically across North America. In 2005, after consultation with stakeholders, neighbours and specialists, Grasslands National Park welcomed plains bison back to their home."