Bison are returning to Yakutia

The majestic bison, exterminated in Eurasia by a man 5 thousand years ago, reappeared in their historical homeland - in Yakutia. As a result of cooperation between Russian and Canadian zoologists, 90 of these peers of mammoths, that now successfully breed on the land of their ancestors, have already moved here for permanent residence.

Now small flocks of these rare animals are preserved in the wild only in Canada, in the Elk Island Nature Reserve. In accordance with agreements between the Government of Yakutia and the Parks Agency of Canada, 90 animals have already been imported into the region in three groups. For the first time, 30 year old calves arrived in Russia back in 2006, and a few days ago in Yakutia they received the fourth group of babies, each of which eats 90 kg of alfalfa per day. By bison standards, these are not even teenagers, but still babies weighing only 200 kilograms. But after three years they will be adults with the height of two meters and the weight of a ton.

Babies that arrived on April 13 with a direct flight from Canada are still in quarantine. "The bison are in good condition, monitoring and feeding were carried out during the entire 12-hour journey," said Yakov Sivtsev, head of the Directorate of Natural Resources and Protected Areas of Yakutia.

For their adaptation, two specialized nurseries were built: Ust-Buotama in the Khangalassky district and Tympynay in the Gorny region. Also this year another nursery was opened in the territory of the Suntarsky district. Currently in Yakutia, there are 220 bison.

Bison are the third species of rare animals that Yakut biologists are trying to revive. A few years ago, yaks and musk oxen were brought. The experiment was successful, and biologists hope that the bison will not only replenish the wild fauna of Yakutia, but may also become the new basis for local livestock production, because in Yakut climate (and any livestock breeder confirms this), allows keeping bison and it is more profitable than breeding cows: the milk is fatter, there is more meat, and the animals can withstand frosts.