The plains bison survived extinction by one breeding population, and that population lived at Elk Island. In 1907, the Canadian government bought one of the last wild bison herds - about 700 animals from Montana ranchers who'd saved them from the slaughter. They shipped 410 to Elk Island National Park, a small reserve east of Edmonton never intended as bison habitat. The animals thrived. When disease contaminated other populations, Elk Island's isolated herd remained pure. Today, every genetically pure plains bison in public hands - from Yellowstone to the Tallgrass Prairie - descends from Elk Island stock. The park that wasn't supposed to be the solution became the only solution.
Plains bison numbered 30 million in 1800. By 1889, fewer than 1,000 survived. The slaughter was deliberate policy: exterminating bison would starve Plains peoples into submission. Railroads brought hunters; hunters left carcasses to rot. The bones were gathered for fertilizer; the hides shipped east. A few ranchers saw what was happening and began capturing survivors: Charles Goodnight in Texas, Walking Coyote and Michel Pablo in Montana. The Pablo-Allard herd grew to 700 animals - the largest surviving population of plains bison on Earth.
Michel Pablo tried to sell his herd to the U.S. government; Congress refused to appropriate funds. Canada stepped in, purchasing 700 bison for $200 per head in 1907. Shipping them north was epic: the wild bison escaped repeatedly, charged handlers, broke through fences. It took five years to round up all 700. Most went to Buffalo National Park in Wainwright, Alberta; 48 went to Elk Island as overflow. The Elk Island animals were an afterthought, a secondary population in a park created for elk. They became the species' salvation.
Buffalo National Park's herd grew quickly - too quickly. Managers crossbred them with wood bison and cattle, contaminating the gene pool. Tuberculosis and brucellosis spread through the population. When the park closed in 1940, the surviving animals were shipped to Wood Buffalo National Park, where they infected that population too. By mid-century, North America's public bison herds were diseased, crossbred, or both. Except Elk Island. The park's isolation had prevented contamination. Its pure plains bison became the foundation stock for restoration efforts continent-wide.
Elk Island has shipped bison to 50+ locations across North America. Yellowstone received Elk Island genetics to strengthen its founding population. The American Prairie Reserve in Montana started with Elk Island animals. Restoration projects from Alaska to Mexico draw from this single source. The park also maintains a pure wood bison herd, similarly important for that subspecies. Today about 400 plains bison and 300 wood bison roam Elk Island, carefully managed to maintain genetic diversity. The small park has become the most important bison conservation site on Earth.
Elk Island National Park is located 35 kilometers east of Edmonton, Alberta, via Highway 16. The park is compact (194 square kilometers) but supports both plains and wood bison herds, along with elk, moose, and deer. The Bison Loop Road offers driving views of plains bison; wood bison occupy the park's southern section. Astotin Lake has beaches and picnic areas. Hiking trails range from short interpretive walks to backcountry routes. Entry fees apply; camping available. Edmonton has full services. Visit at dawn or dusk when bison are most active. The park's small size makes wildlife encounters likely - bison frequently block roads, reminding drivers who really owns this land.
Located at 53.60°N, 112.87°W east of Edmonton, Alberta. From altitude, Elk Island appears as a forested island in a sea of prairie agriculture - an aspen parkland remnant surrounded by cropland. The park boundaries are visible as the edge of continuous forest. Bison herds may be visible as dark clusters in open meadows. Astotin Lake gleams in the park's center. Edmonton's sprawl approaches from the west. Highway 16 (Yellowhead) passes along the park's northern boundary. The park's small size belies its importance - this is where North America's plains bison survived, and from where they've been restored across the continent.