FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — In the two years since the Grand Canyon approved a plan to reduce the number of bison roaming in the national park, the herd has only grown in size.
A small herd thundered free from a farm and wandered through forests and roadways. Eventually, local authorities managed to return the beasts safely — but not before a neighbor caught a video.
Banff National Park is hailing the beasts' return as a "historic and cultural triumph." Local indigenous communities also have strong spiritual ties to the bison, and welcomed their reintroduction.
A newly released study examines why European cave art includes drawings of two distinct types of bison. One of the types is a newly discovered ancestor of modern bison.
Bison sliders, bison bratwurst, hot-off-the-grill bison ribeye — around Jackson, Wyo., it's not hard to find this shaggy beast's meat on menus. (Don't worry: It's all farm-raised.)
The park proposes killing mostly cows and calves in this year's annual cull. The park's bison population neared 5,000 this summer; a 15-year-old agreement with Montana calls for a population of 3,000.
