Image copyright Parks Canada via Reuters Image caption Bison returned to Banff last week after an absence of more than 100 years

A herd of plains bison have been successfully reintroduced to Canada's oldest national park, more than 100 years after they were nearly hunted out of existence. Last week, Parks Canada successfully relocated 16 wild plains bison from Elk Island National Park to a 1,200 square-kilometre reintroduction zone in the Panther Valley at Windy Cabin, roughly 40 kilometres north of the Banff townsite. The herd will be monitored in an enclosed pasture for about 16 months before being released into the 460-square-mile (about 1,200-square-km) reintroduction zone in the remote eastern slopes of the park. The herd will stay under observation in an enclosure in the remote Panther Valley until summer 2018, when the animals will be released into the full 1,189 square kilometers (459 square miles) re-introduction zone in the park's eastern valleys. BBC Nature - Bison facts

"By returning plains bison to Banff National Park, Parks Canada is taking an important step toward restoring the full diversity of species and natural processes to the park's ecosystems while providing new opportunities for Canadians and visitors to connect with the story of this iconic species," Canadian Environment Minister Catherine McKenna said. “I'm proud to say that history has come full circle and wild bison are once again in Banff National Park.”

More than a century ago, bison grazed on the land that is now Banff National Park. Vast bison herds up to 30 million animals strong once migrated freely across the plains of North America, including the montane and sub-alpine meadows where the front ranges of the Rocky Mountains meet western Canada's rolling prairies.
A herd of Plains bison are successfully reintroduced to the Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada, more than 100 years after they were nearly hunted out of existence.