Download American Bison - Minnesota Zoo

{animal spotlight}
American
Bison
Bison bison
{by Kelly Lessard, public relations manager}
The Minnesota Zoo recently joined with the Minnesota
Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in an effort to
conserve the North American plains bison. Beginning this
fall, the Zoo will work with the DNR to cooperatively
manage a genetically pure bison herd at Minnesota state
parks and at the Zoo. A herd of 100+ bison currently
resides at Blue Mounds State Park in southwestern
Minnesota, a project that started in 1961 with three bison
from Nebraska.
BACKGROUND AND PROJECT
During the recovery of this species from near extinction
in the early 1900s, cattle interbred with bison in many
locations. Recent scientific advances estimate that less than
one percent of the world’s remaining American bison are
free of cattle hybridization – posing a serious threat to
the long-term conservation of pure wild bison across
the nation.
The new effort will help protect the genetic diversity
of this native Minnesota species and educate
Minnesotans about the bison’s conservation
story and the important roles bison (and
other large herbivores) play in our
prairie ecosystem.
Says Minnesota Zoo Director/CEO Lee
Ehmke: “American bison were the
first wildlife species that zoos actively
worked to help save, with a small herd
originating from the Bronx Zoo being
returned to the wild in 1907 to help
restore the species in the Western Plains.
A strategic priority of the Minnesota Zoo
is to increase awareness and to actively
participate in the restoration of the prairie
ecosystems that once occupied vast areas of
Minnesota. Helping to expand the population
and range of a keystone species like the bison, in
collaboration with our colleagues at the DNR, is
exactly the sort of conservation action our Zoo is
committed to engage in.”
page 8 {Fall 2012} zootracksonline
{SIDEBAR}
Courtland Nelson, director, DNR Division of Parks
and Trails adds: “We are very excited to be able to
work with Minnesota Zoo staff to help preserve
and expand the number of plains bison in
Minnesota being managed for species
conservation and ecological restoration.”
ABOUT BISON
Massive and thick-coated, bison—the largest land
animals in North America—were once the icons
of North America’s Great Plains. They were most
abundant, with an estimated 30 to 60 million
animals, before European settlement. Bison were
hunted to near extinction in the 1800s, with
populations down to less than 1,000 before
protective measures were put into place.
Currently, there are approximately 19,000 total
plains bison in 54 conservation herds (herds
managed in the public interest by governments
and environmental organizations) and 500,000 in
commercial herds. The species is considered nearthreatened and conservation-dependent.
BISON FUN FACTS
PBison grunt periodically to communicate and
keep contact with the rest of the herd. They
bellow aggressively when challenging another
animal.
PIn winter, bison clear snow from their grazing
area by sweeping their massive heads from side
to side.
PThe bison’s hump is a set of powerful muscles
that hold up and control the movement of its 50
to 75-pound head.
Learn more about bison here.
Minnesota Zoo
Brings Prairie
to Life!
{by Sarah Braman, horticulture department}
Prairie is the most endangered
habitat in North America and is
an important part of Minnesota’s
cultural heritage. With support
from Minnesota’s Legacy
Amendment, the Minnesota
Zoo is currently installing a
dry-upland prairie
demonstration. This effort is
part of the Zoo’s conservation
initiative to inspire people to
learn, care and act on behalf of
wildlife and wild places.
The prairie demonstration area will
offer educational opportunities for
Zoo guests and provide habitat for a
diverse set of native butterflies, bees,
and other insects. Over ten native
grass species and 30 native flowers
will paint a diverse and colorful
landscape where prairie ecology,
conservation and education
messages can reach new audiences.
The project will also provide
opportunities for “citizen science.”
Students, staff, and volunteers will
monitor the impact of removing
one native plant species (Asclepias
tuberosa (L.)) from a section of
prairie and observe that effect on
butterfly populations and plant
community development. This
prairie landscape offers a unique
opportunity to survey and record
the influence of ecological changes
on native insect and plant
communities in an urban
environment.
zootracksonline
{Fall 2012} page 9