After over a century, officials have released 34 genetically pure or cattle gene-free wild bison at the Fort Belknap Indian Reserve on Friday.
Mark Azure, head of the bison program for the Assiniboine and Gros Ventre tribes that occupies the 1,055 square mile reservation told USA Today that such event is a beautiful day for the Indian country, especially for Indians.
The last few bison that remained in the area have been long gone, since 1910 and this event marks the homecoming for the animals.
Last year, exactly 70 Bisons were transported to Fort Peck from the Yellowstone National Park with the ultimate plan to transport half to Fort Belknap. Those animals are remnants of pure bison that roamed the entire state before.
Azure added in the said interview that bison helped their ancestors, and them as well survive on the prairie, so they should find a way to return the favor by returning them to their natural habitat.
Tribal officials see the animals as a way to help manage bison that leave the Yellowstone Park yearly and are killed or slaughtered.
A herd of about 150 wild bison will be supervised by Fort Belknap and utilize them as seed stock for tribes or agencies looking to reintroduce bison, said a tribal councilman for the northern Montana reservation named Mike Fox to USA Today.
The officials conducted blood tests on Tuesday and Wednesday and results were submitted on Thursday implying that all of the animals tested are perfectly healthy. The positive results confirmed that the bison were indeed ready for its homecoming to Fort Belknap.
With the lead of a police automobile with a flashing light, the bison were paraded into a community gathering at the park first, then to the horse pasture 16 miles south of Belknap Agency followed by long trail of vehicles.
A commercial herd of 500 bison is owned by the tribe. However, these bison have cattle genes so they are kept in a separate pasture.
