Wood Bison Handling

Elk Island National Park

Bison Photo Gallery

Baby bison in Elk Island National Park

Wood Bison Handling

Elk Island National Park is the home of Canada’s conservation herds for Plains and Wood Bison. For over 100 years Parks Canada has cared for and maintained these herds; plains bison beginning in 1907 and wood bison in 1967. By sharing bison with conservation projects around the world, Parks Canada has played a vital role in bringing bison back from the brink of extinction. To ensure our herds remain healthy and viable each herd is managed in alternate years: one year wood bison (found in the park area south of Hwy 16); the next year plains bison (found north of Hwy 16). A handling facility is located in each area and the process is the same for each sub-species. Follow the disease-testing and handling progress through these photos from the Wood Bison Handling of January of 2015.

 

Aerial view a collection of fenced enclosures surrounded by open pasture and aspen forest. About 100 bison can be seen in the foreground pasture.

Over three days 350 bison will be moved from the outer pastures through the day handling pen, along the alleyway, around the swing gate tub, through the single chutes to the squeeze room in the very centre of the Wood Bison handling facility where our vet will access each animal.
© Parks Canada

 

Crowed pen of bison with one bison’s head comically on the back of another.

In the day-handling pen this wood bison is trying to get a better view.
Date: 2015:11:26 08:28:03
© Parks Canada

 

Profile view of two Wood Bison in a crowed pen.

The squared hump and forward hanging forehead hair identify these as Wood Bison.
Date: 2015:11:26 12:37:14
© Parks Canada

 

Running bison following a curved wall with snow falling.

The curved walls of the ‘swing-gate tub’ signal this wood bison to slow down and will gently direct him into the single chutes.
Date: 2015:11:26 12:38:02
© Parks Canada

 

Bison in a high walled enclosure with two staff waving blue flags on long poles near bison.

When two bison end up in the ‘swing-gate tub’ together we use flags to separate the pair so they enter the single chutes one at a time.
© Parks Canada

 

Three people in a line are each holding a sliding gate closed.

Each single chute has a sliding gate at each end. Staff slide the gate open to create access to an empty chute and close it behind the bison as they move from one chute to the next.
Date: 2015:11:26 08:34:10
© Parks Canada

 

A bison in running down a narrow metal passageway.

Here all the single chutes are empty and this bull is free to move to the front of the line.
Date: 2015:11:26 08:37:20
© Parks Canada

 

A bison in running down a narrow metal passageway with a person on the left holding a blue flag.

The wave of a flag is sometimes needed to encourage a bison to move along.
Date: 2015:11:26 11:48:26
© Parks Canada

 

Three people standing in an industrial looking setting. The middle person in moving some hydraulic leavers.

The squeeze operator runs the hydraulic controls that gently hold (squeeze) the bison so our vet (dressed in red) can safely check their age and take a blood sample.
Date: 2015:11:26 11:52:18
© Parks Canada

 

A person reaches through a gate on a cattle squeeze and into the anus of a bison.

Some jobs are more glamorous than others; here one of our staff is collecting a fecal sample to check for parasites.
Date: 2015:11:26 08:45:03
© Parks Canada

 

The central person of three is reaching to a cattle squeeze with a pair of tagging pliers.

You’re going the wrong way. Somehow this calf has ended up in the squeeze backwards. Superintendent, Stephen Flemming, opens the side of the squeeze to attach an ear tag.
Date: 2015:11:26 08:43:31
© Parks Canada

 

Large head of bull bison protruding from cattle squeeze.

My, what a big head you have!
Date: 2015:11:26 12:39:26
© Parks Canada

 

A man holds a blood sampling tube to the neck of a bison (out of view).

Our vet collects a blood sample from the neck of a bison. The blood sample will be used to test for disease. The Elk Island Wood and Plains bison herds have been disease free since 1978.
© Parks Canada

 

A man places a blood sample vial in half full collecting tray. A small fridge is in the background and a centrifuge is in the foreground.

Once the blood sample is taken the sample vial is labeled with the bison’s identification number and prepared for transfer to the lab for testing
Date: 2015:11:26 11:53:28
© Parks Canada

 

A lone bison stands in a large, snow covered, fenced enclosure with a round hay bale in the left foreground.

After being weighed, sexed, aged, tagged, and samples of blood, feces and hair have been collected, this bison is ready to return to the park.
© Parks Canada
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