The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium’s International Conservation Center in Somerset has welcomed one of North America’s most iconic species – the American Bison.

Four bison, one male and three females, arrived at the ICC in December. They were born this past summer and are approximately eight months old. These animals represent the purest bison stock in North America and came to the Zoo through a partnership with American Prairie, a prairie-based nature reserve in Central Montana.

“This is the beginning of an exciting breeding and reintroduction program that will repatriate bison to indigenous territories across the United States,” said ICC Director Ayeshah Al-Humaidhi. “The herd will also provide training opportunities for animal care managers across zoological institutions and our Native American partners.”

The Pittsburgh Zoo and American Prairie are both part of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ Bison Saving Animals from Extinction (SAFE) program, which has the goal of merging the resources of AZA facilities across North America with valuable external partners, including Indigenous groups, to recover bison and restore its native North American prairie habitat. “Based on AZA SAFE recommendations, we will actively look for partners to receive any bison that are bred at the ICC,” said Al-Humaidhi.

Bison, also commonly known as buffalo, are North America’s largest land animals, as well as the official mammal of the United States. Though the animals once grazed the plains of most of the U.S. in the millions, their population dwindled to a little over a thousand at the turn of the 20th century due to hunting and habitat loss. Through preservation efforts, like those of American Prairie, the bison has been slowly reintroduced to the wild. Today, the species is listed as “near threatened” and “ecologically extinct” – which means they no longer play their critical roles in shaping prairie biodiversity. (article continues below ⇓)