See the Prairies Through My Eyes........

Ryan Calhoun, on October 14, 2007, said:

Very nice! I see some clouds, but I can't tell what the rest is. Some kind of railing, maybe a building? Are you going to tell, Pam????

Lilypon, on October 14, 2007, said:

The thin boards that were between him and me (see my newest upload Ryan :).

There were also a few buildings out in the distance, a graveyard right behind me (fitting should I have upset them), and a wide expanse of prairie.

Lilypon, on October 14, 2007, said:

I was wondering about that too John. I'm not sure if these are Wood or Plains Bison (or a mix of both).

Here's a little history regarding their interbreeding: "In 1906, after Allard died, the herd was offered to the U.S. government, but Congress refused to appropriate the funds. Snubbed by Congress's action, Pablo approached the Canadian government, which bought his entire herd for $245 a head. Even with seventy-five cowboys chasing the herd, it proved impossible to round up the bison. After months of futile attempts, Pablo built forty-two kilometres of fence leading to a boxcar. The plan failed when the lead bull roared up the ramp and crashed through the wall of the boxcar as if it were a paper bag. It took six years, but eventually the last of the 709 bison were transported north to Alberta's Elk Island Park, a wildlife sanctuary, in 1912.

The farcical roundup turned into a tragedy thirteen years later. By then the herd had multiplied so rapidly that authorities ignored the protests of wildlife managers and began moving surplus plains bison north to Wood Buffalo National Park, created in 1922 as a permanent habitat for the last remaining wood bison. By 1940, the dire predictions seemed to be true--crossbreeding put the last of the wood bison out of existence.

Then in 1957, in an inaccessible corner of Wood Buffalo National Park isolated by more than 120 kilometres of impenetrable muskeg, a plane spotted a herd of 200 bison. They proved to be "pure" wood bison. The species was not extinct. Their capture, in the deep snow of midwinter when the frozen muskeg permitted access, turned out to be one of the most difficult animal rescues ever attempted. This time the wood bison were kept separate from the interbred herd."

The quoted section above comes from Bison: back from the brink. Bill Burns. The Beaver: Exploring Canada's History 82.5 (Oct-Nov 2002): p16(6).

Lilypon, on October 14, 2007, said:

From what I quoted above and your link one can see that they went to a great deal of work to make sure the remaining pure Wood Bison survived (and are now disease free.....it was sad to read how they accomplished that though).

I know at Saskatchewan's Grasslands National Park the newly released Bison there are pure Plains Bison.

I'm sure those that are being raised for meat are often the interbred ones.

♫ Swissmay, on October 17, 2007, said:

Very beautiful, Pam! I love these beasts, though I have never seen one in real!

Greetings, May

Marilyn Whiteley, on October 17, 2007, said:

Beautiful shot, Pam! That reflection is haunting. And your comments have let us see their history through their eyes a bit, too.

Lilypon, on October 17, 2007, said:

Marilyn you have captured perfectly the feeling I had when I looked into his eyes. Seeing the fence, that now encloses, in his eyes also contributed to the heading.

Thankfully there are some in Northern Saskatchewan/Alberta and the Northwest Territories that are still roaming free. And others in Alberta's parks and Saskatchewan Grasslands National park that, while still fenced in, have an incredible amount of space to cause prairie thunder to be heard once more. :)

RafaGG, on January 22, 2008, said:

Is the well-read one the previous commentaries on this photo, and still(yet) I estimate mas, this penetrating look and jet of the Bison. It she is grand. Congratulations. Rafa.

Lilypon, on January 22, 2008, said:

They are unusual and very special to me. I'm glad you enjoyed looking at them Rafa! :)

Cheers, Pam

RafaGG, on January 22, 2008, said:

Also it is special for my. It seems a brave bull, in that photo. Cheers.Rafa

Filippo Arrighi, 9 hours ago, said:

Wonderful!