Bison are returning to Highlands Ranch, marking the first time in more than 150 years since the creatures have grazed in the native prairie habitat.
The Daniels Park herd — which lineage traces back to some of the last wild bison in North America — will seasonally graze about 150 acres of native prairie in the Backcountry Wilderness Area, according to the news release.
“These bison carry forward a conservation legacy that began more than a century ago with Colorado’s first wildlife reintroduction at Genesee Park,” said Shannon Dennison, director of Denver Mountain Parks, which manages the herd, in a statement. “The Daniels Park bison are the direct descendants of the animals that helped bring the species back to the state.”
The project was announced this week by the Highlands Ranch Community Association Backcountry Wilderness Area, Denver Mountain Parks, Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance and Sanctuary Golf Course.
The groups calls the bison’s return “an important step toward restoring ecological processes that once shaped Colorado’s Great Plains landscapes.”
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