(KTUU) History was made in Shageluk this week. The population more than doubled as the small community of 70 welcomed a hundred wood bison onto its lands.
North America’s largest land mammal disappeared from Alaska more than a century ago, but thanks to a small herd of 13 transported from Canada in 2003 to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center in Portage, wood bison are now able to roam in their natural U.S. habitat once again.
“It’s almost surreal, I keep having to pinch myself,” said Cathie Harms, a biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
For Harms, it’s been a long time coming.
“We’ve been at this project for more than 23 years, for all practical purposes, but we only got the go ahead last October,” said Harms.
Sunday was the first day wood bison from the AWCC were loaded into specially made “bison boxes” and transported to Lynden Air Cargo in Anchorage.
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