Alaska's Department of Fish and Game used a snowmobile to lead a stampede of bison to freedom in snow-covered grass meadows on a conservation.
Tom opened the gates to the temporary pens and called the bison to follow his snowmobile across the Innoko River to sedge and grass meadows in the Lower Innoko/Yukon Rivers. As you will see from the video, bison galloped all the way across the river, a distance of about a mile.
The herd followed the sled from a temporary holding pen across the Innoko River on April 3 to their new home.
Biologist Tom Seaton, riding a snowmachine, shakes alfalfa pellets from a bag as he rides. The bison follow along behind. Tom was leading the bison between two temporary holding pens near the community of Shageluk in preparation for their introduction to sedge and grass meadows in the Lower Innoko/Yukon Rivers.
The bison weigh from 200 to 1,300 pounds. Each was fitted with radio collars to track and monitor in their new habitat.
“We needed to get the cows out to the meadows before calving, which will happen in May, because calving should anchor them to their habitat,” Seaton added. About half of the adult cows are pregnant.
The small herd was raised at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center in Portage before being transported by cargo planes to the release site.
Watch a video of the stampede here.