The Nature Conservancy in Iowa - Reintroduction of Bison to Iowa: Bison Diary, Entry #4

The reintroduction of bison on the largest, contiguous native prairie in Iowa is a celebration of the progress that the Conservancy has made in Iowa, with your help. Please support this ongoing, important program.

Bison History
The bison population was decimated in the 1800s to almost extinction. However, a handful survived and have served as the basis for our repopulation to areas where the “buffalo roamed.” More history.

Current Bison Population
Most bison are in private ownership. Many reside in our public parks and conservation areas. Where are the bison?

The Nature Conservancy Herds
The Conservancy has a rich but relatively brief history with bison. The first herd of 18 bison was acquired in 1984 at the Samuel H. Ordway Memorial Prairie in South Dakota. The Conservancy manages almost 5,000 bison at their eight preserves. Conservancy bison preserves.

Grasslands Worldwide
Broken Kettle Grasslands Preserve is a globally unique landscape. By maintaining and restoring areas in the Loess Hills, the Conservancy and partners are conserving the least protected habitat on Earth, with only 2 percent of native grasslands remaining. Learn more about other grasslands around the world.

Bison in Snow: December 19, 2008

The first time I saw the bison in the snow at Broken Kettle Grasslands, I wasn’t sure what I was looking at. They blended in so well because the snow covered them. They were lying fairly close to one another and they looked like brown tree stumps sticking up through the snow.

Clearly the bison are well insulated and hardy. They are completely unfazed by the weather. In fact, bison generally face into the wind unlike cattle that will try to get out of the wind. The bison easily move up and down the hills. They have been eating snow for their moisture intake. And now, their mineral consumption is way down.

We’ll be opening up the other pasture right around Christmas Day to give them some more space – another 125 acres. We don’t want them to get bored in the first pasture. The exact timing will depend on the weather. Check back in a few weeks for pictures of them in their larger space.

Happy holidays from Broken Kettle Grasslands.

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Images (top to bottom, left to right): Bison on a snow covered ridge at Broken Kettle Grasslands Preserve, Iowa © Eric Robley/TNC; Bison calves at Broken Kettle Grasslands preserve, Iowa © 2008 Elizabeth Niven/TNC