Science News Daily

Bringing bison back to North American landscapes

Recovery 'roadmap' would see large herds roaming free over thousands of hectares but hinges on an overhaul of government regulations and a rethink of public attitudes to the animalBison, the iconic animal of the American west, could once more roam wild across the great plains under a recovery roadmap prepared by international scientists.A report by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) (pdf), prepared by dozens of scientists and bison experts from Mexico, America, and Canada, says there is a chance of a second recovery, nearly a century after the animals were rescued from the brink of extinction.But success depends on allowing large herds to roam free over thousands or perhaps millions of hectares, an overhaul of government regulations, and a rethink of public attitudes to the animal.Currently, there is only one population of plains bison, in Yellowstone national park."The next 10-20 years present opportunities for conserving American bison as a wild species and restoring it as an impo

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