Bison find a new home

Visitors to Grasslands National Park this summer will have a chance to see something no one has seen in the area for more than a century -a herd of Plains bison roaming through a portion of the park.

The bison were re-introduced to the park in December 2005 when a herd of 71 animals were relocated from Elk Island National Park in Alberta. They were kept in a 40-acre (16.2-hectare) holding facility over the winter to allow them time to adapt to their new surroundings. On May 24, the bison were released into a parcel of the park's west block, providing them with a new home covering 70 square miles (181 square kilometres).

Grasslands National Park is located near Val Marie in southwestern Saskatchewan. The park's visitor reception centre is open 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily from the Victoria Day long weekend until the Labour Day long weekend . For the remainder of the year the centre is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and is closed on holidays. The park itself is always open.