The populations of the three wood bison herds in the Northwest Territories have risen and fallen dramatically with outbreaks of disease, but the territory says its recovery strategy is working.
A first progress report on the recovery of Wood Bison in the NWT was released April 29. It highlights the work conservationists and Indigenous governments have done since wood bison were declared 'threatened' in 2016.
"Wood bison have historically played an important role in the Northern boreal forest ecosystem and in the lives of many Indigenous communities in the Northwest Territories," reads the report. "Today, some communities still maintain a strong connection to wood bison, while others no longer see bison as part of their heritage. This is most often the case in communities where bison have not been present for several generations."
Also known as buffalo, wood bison are the largest land mammal in North America, with bull males weighing more than 1,000 kilograms and standing nearly two metres at the shoulder. They were nearly wiped out in the 1800s by colonizers from Europe, but historically had a range from Alaska to Northern Alberta. There are three populations of bison in the territory: the Mackenzie population, which live west of Great Slave Lake and was introduced in 1963; the Nahanni population along the Liard River and was introduced in 1980; and the Greater Wood Buffalo metapopulation in the Wood Buffalo National Park area SA国际影视传媒� one of the few surviving original herds.
The three herds are kept separate by a "bison control area" in the centre of the NWT. Any of the animals found in this area are destroyed and tested for disease, which has been highly problematic for conservation efforts. Anthrax outbreaks in 2022 and 2023 killed an estimated 91 buffalo in Wood Buffalo National Park and in the Slave River lowlands. One subpopulation of bison, the Little Buffalo herd in Wood Buffalo National Park, has dropped from 1,049 individuals surveyed in 2005 to only 101 in 2024. Nahanni bison also experienced a sharp drop, going from 962 animals in 2017 to 544 in 2021.
Mackenzie bison appear to be on the rebound after an anthrax outbreak in 2012 SA国际影视传媒� they were surveyed at 1,945 animals as of 2023. The herd is expanding its range north and east along highways 3 and 9.
Vehicle collisions continue to be a big killer of bison, averaging 12 collisions per year. The worst year was 2020, when 31 collisions were reported.
Harvest quotas continue to be in place, limiting the number of bison that can be taken by hunters. A total of 40 bulls per year can be harvested from the Mackenzie herd, seven from the Nahanni herd and a lone bull can be harvested per year, per hunter outside of Wood Buffalo National Park. Hunting within the park is prohibited.
