Purest of bison stock welcomed to International Conservation Center in Fairhope

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20-02-2025

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium's International Conservation Center in Somerset County 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 Fairhope in December. They were born this past summer and are approximately 8 months old.
The bison 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, according to a press release.
'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 in the press release. 'The herd will also provide training opportunities for animal care managers across zoological institutions and our Native American partners.'
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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.
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 because of hunting and habitat loss, according to the press release.
Genetic integrity plays an important role in bison conservation. Most of the animals today are not pure bison, but genetically mixed with cattle. There are likely few bison that do not have some level of cattle genes in their lineage. The program incorporates the most genetically pure bison and pays careful attention to genetic diversity to manage the health of its herds.
"Wild bison experienced severe population bottlenecks in the 19th century. During that time, bison hybridized with cattle and as a result, very few (if any) pure bison remain in the wild," said Dr. Shafkat Khan of the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium, in an email. "Our bison came from the American Prairie in Montana, which carefully sources and manages their herd to ensure that their bison are as wildtype as possible. Partners for field reintroduction programs value bison sourced from the wild that behave as wild bison, and we are looking forward to providing field partners with these bison from the ICC."
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.
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Routine DNA testing is conducted and importing bison with different genetics is done to ensure high integrity and the long-term success and survival of the animals.
'We are thrilled to partner with the ICC and contribute to this important new program to help grow bison populations across North America,' said Scott Heidebrink, director of Landscape Stewardship for American Prairie. 'We have spent the past 20 years restoring bison to their native prairie home and look forward to seeing even more of these iconic mammals on this historic landscape.'
At the ICC, the bison will serve as ambassadors for their species, helping visitors understand the vital role they play in the ecosystem as a keystone species and the importance of preserving their natural habitats.
'Based on AZA SAFE recommendations, we will actively look for partners to receive any bison that are bred at the ICC,' said Al-Humaidhi.
The International Conservation Center is an extension of the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium that focuses on conservation science, wildlife management and recovery, and education. Its resident animals contribute to the preservation of their wild counterparts and help tell the story of hope and survival into the future. Summer camp registration for the International Conservation Center began Feb. 18.
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: ICC welcomes a male and 3 female bison to repatriate to U.S. prairies