Content
Skip to Main ContentAccessibility Help
Hello Spring

Baby bison join herd at Wasnuskewin Heritage Park: What you need to know

Tuesday, the park north of Saskatoon welcomed our camera to have a look at the additions — the first baby bison born on ancestral land in more than 150 years. 
CBC ·

Wanuskewin Heritage Park, located just north of Saskatoon, has been reintroducing bison to ancestral land, and this spring is celebrating the first baby bison born there since at least 1876. Now, there are four babies, with the latest born on Mother's Day.

Tuesday, the park welcomed our camera to have a look at the additions — the first baby bison born on ancestral land in more than 150 years. 

(Chanss Lagaden, CBC)

The herd of bison reintroduced to Wanuskewin lands late last year welcomed its first newborn bison on Earth Day.

The second baby arrived on April 28, with the third calf born on May 5 (Red Dress Day) and a fourth born on Mother's Day (May 10).

(Chanss Lagaden, CBC)

There used to be approximately 30 million plains bison in North America, but over-hunting by European settlers nearly wiped them out. CBC Kids News spoke to the park about the record the arrival of the first calf marked.

Bison were brought back to Wanuskewin Heritage Park courtesy of a $5 million private donation to the park and an initiative it undertook in 2017 called Thundering Ahead.

Bringing back the bison is part of the park's effort to be named a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage designated site. 

Wanuskewin Heritage Park, including all trails, is closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Updates will be posted here as to when it will reopen.

(CBC Kids )