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For The First Time Since 1877, Bison Are Roaming Badlands National Park In South Dakota

October 22, 2019

Bison haven't stepped foot on this land in Badlands National Park since 1877.

On October 11th, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) celebrated the park opening up 22,000 acres of new bison range.

Credit: WWF / Clay Bolt

Thanks to more than 2,500 WWF donors, bison in Badlands National Park, South Dakota, now have an additional 22,553 acres to roam thanks to a passionate group of supporters who want to see America's national mammal thrive.

"Bison are North America's largest and most iconic mammal, and WWF is thrilled to be part of an effort to create the second largest herd in the National Park system," said Martha Kauffman, managing director of WWF's Northern Great Plains program. "The project has touched the imaginations of people across the US, and the matching dollars that WWF has provided wouldn't have been possible without the generosity of our supporters."

Donors raised nearly $750,000 to extend the habitat for 1,200 bison.

Along with WWF, the National Park Foundation, Defenders of Wildlife, and The Nature Conservancy helped make this happen.