Bison Returning to Illinois!

The American bison used to number around 30 to 50 million across the great plains of North America. However, they were hunted to near extinction in the late 19th century. Today, bison are considered ecologically extinct, meaning they no longer perform their ecological roles in the environment. Bison are a keystone species of the prairie ecosystem, meaning many other animals and plants rely on bison in order to survive. Bison moved constantly grazing in large herds, leaving behind dung that was food for insects, which in turn became food for other organisms. Bison also have a wallowing behavior, when they take dust baths they roll in the dirt creating hard compacted dirt that holds water after a rainfall. These depressions allow for frogs and other amphibians to lay eggs. However, thanks to many conservationists, bison are making a comeback. today there is around 500,000 bison across North America. Unfortunately, the majority of these bison were crossbred with cattle and are no longer considered true wild bison. Only around 30,000 genetically pure bison still remain and even less are truly wild and free roaming. These numbers continue to grow each year thanks to conservationist and wildlife agencies. In Illinois, the first bison calf was born in 2015 after nearly 200 years of absence. Illinois has finally had the return of bison to its prairies and this bison can be found in a few wild places throughout the state. The Nachusa Grasslands in Franklin Grove features 3,500 acres owned by the Nature Conservatory and hosts a herd of genetically pure bison. The Warrenville Fermilab also contains a herd of bison that live a semi-wild life. The third area to see wild bison in Illinois is the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. Midewin hosts a 19,000-acre reserve with a free-roaming herd of bison. In combination with private bison farmers, Illinois beginning to grow its herd and hopefully one-day bison will be able to reclaim their ecological roles on the Illinois prairie.

Sources:

“Bringing Back the Bison: 3 Places to See Bison in Illinois.” Chicagotribune.com, 12 July 2015, http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/batavia-geneva-st-charles/community/chi-ugc-article-bringing-back-the-bison-3-places-to-see-biso-2015-07-11-story.html.

“Basic Facts About Bison.” Defenders of Wildlife, 10 Jan. 2019, defenders.org/bison/basic-facts.