Glorious moment four majestic bison are released into a corner of the Great Plains where they haven’t set foot for 150 years
- Four bison were released into the Badlands National Park in South Dakota Friday
- The animals have not stepped foot in the area since 1870, the WWF said
- The majestic beast were nearly hunted to extinction in the 19th century
- Video shows four bulls bolting from the back of a horse trailer into the snow
Once-endangered bison have been released into an area of the Great Plains where the majestic beasts haven’t roamed for 150 years.
Massive bulls bolted out of the back of a horse trailer and across the snow-covered plains of Badlands National Park in South Dakota on Friday.
More than 30 million bison once roamed North America, but their populations dwindled to near extinction due to western expansion and hunting.
In 1877, it was estimated only 512 plains bison were left.
But conservation efforts have been stepped up in recent years and the four were released onto a newly expanded range.
Video streamed on October 11 shows the four massive bulls bolting out of the back of a horse trailer and across the snow-covered plains of Badlands National Park in South Dakota
More than 30 million bison once roamed North America, but their populations dwindled to near extinction due to western expansion and hunting (pictured: one of the bulls bolts through the snow on Friday)
It came after park officials worked with the US Forest Service and WWF to swap land with a local ranch which blocked bison, adding an extra 22,000 acres to their grazing patch.
Aside from this untouched patch where the four bison are now living, the national park provides 1,200 bison with 80,000 acres to graze.
Martha Kauffman, MD of WWF’s Northern Great Plains program, said the project had ‘touched the imaginations of people across the US’.
She said: ‘WWF is thrilled to be part of an effort to create the second largest herd in the National Park system.’
Badlands National Park Spt Mike Pflaum added: ‘The National Park Service has been striving to expand the range for the bison grazing area for many years.
In 1877, it is estimated only 512 plains bison were left, but conservation efforts have been stepped up, and on Friday, four were released onto a newly expanded range
‘This project would not have been possible without an important land exchange effected by The Nature Conservancy and U.S. Forest Service working with the Don Kelly family in 2014, and the generous contributions of several key park partners and their supporters and the National Park Service Centennial Challenge fund.
‘The story of the American bison will continue to be part of Badlands
National Park’s story for generations to come.’
During the 19th century, it has been estimated that colonizers slaughtered an estimated 50 million bison.
One of the majestic bulls stands in his natural habitat in the Great Plains of North America on Friday
Over-hunting of bison reduced the creatures to near extinction before farming and conservation reserved the trend
Men aboard railroads would fire from the train’s roof or windows, leaving countless bison to rot where they died.
The over-hunting of the bison reduced their population to mere hundreds, though attempts to revive the American mammal have been successful.
Farming has increased increased their population to nearly 150,000.
Badlands National Park has 244,000 acres, home to 1,200 bison.
Recent conservation work has seen the area they have to roam increased.