Plains bison reintroduction

Banff National Park

Wild bison return to Canada’s first national park

Parks Canada is pleased to announce that bison now roam free in Banff National Park. After an absence of over a century, the return of wild plains bison is a historic, ecological and cultural triumph.

In 2017, 16 healthy Plains Bison were translocated from Elk Island National Park to Banff National Park.
In July 2018, Parks Canada released 31 bison from the soft-release pasture in Panther Valley, and they now roam a 1200km² reintroduction zone. They are fulfilling their role in the ecosystem as “keystone species” by creating a vibrant mosaic of habitats that benefits bugs to birds to bears, and hundreds of other species.
As of 2024, with the first seven years of the bison reintroduction project complete, the herd at Banff National Park is healthy and has grown rapidly to over 130 animals.