EDMONTON — Thirty wood bison from Canada will be moved to Russia to bolster a small but growing population there.
The bison are part of a herd in Elk Island National Park in Alberta.
They’ll join a small herd in the Republic of Sakha, Russia, that was started from an earlier group of 30 animals that were transferred from Alberta in 2006.
Some of the world’s last plains bison were brought to Elk Island over 100 years ago, and the species began its recovery from the brink of extinction.
Wood bison were first brought to the park in 1965.
Since then, Elk Island National Park has successfully relocated 855 wood bison to conservation programs in Alaska, Russia, and other parts of Canada.