Bison Roundup Time In The South Unit

Bison will be rounded up in the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park this week. A helicopter will be used to drive the bison to the wildlife handling facility located on the eastern edge of the park. It will take about three days to gather and process the animals.
The purpose of the roundup is to remove about 260 of the approximately 465 bison that are currently in the South Unit. This will bring the herd down to a size more compatible with the available habitat and food sources. Each animal will be weighed, aged and sexed so that the correct sex and age ratio for the remaining park herd will be maintained. Blood samples will be taken from all animals for brucellosis testing. Additional serum and fecal samples will be taken from some animals to screen for Johne’s disease. All bison will receive a microchip and an ear tag for later identification.
Under a Memorandum of Agreement a majority of the bison removed from the park will be transferred to the Mandan, Hidatsa & Arikara Nation of the Fort Berthold Reservation. Another agreement will also provide 20 bison to the North Dakota Buffalo Foundation for the National Buffalo Museum in Jamestown.
On Wednesday, October 19, the helicopter will begin to push the bison into the corrals. The public will be able to view the processing of the animals starting Thursday morning, October 20 and again on Friday and perhaps Saturday. The wildlife handling facility is located three miles north of I-94 off the Fryburg Exit. Traffic will be stopped while the bison are being driven to the corrals.
Twenty-nine bison were reestablished in the South Unit in 1956. Their reproductive success requires that the herd be rounded up every few years to reduce the herd size so the park is not overgrazed.