It was a momentous day in suburban Kane County earlier this week, as bison returned to a prairie area for the first time in hundreds of years.<\/p>\n
According to the Forest Preserve District of Kane County, it\u2019s been at least 200 years since bison roamed the county, but a new herd is now making themselves at home at the Burlington Prairie Forest Preserve in Sycamore.<\/p>\n
The arrival of the new herd is a partnership between the Forest Preserve District of Kane County, the American Indian Center of Chicago (AIC), and Ruhter Bison as herd manager, according to officials.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople have wanted to bring buffalo back since we first learned that our actions could cause the extinction of the species,\u201d Executive Director Benjamin Haberthur said in a statement. \u201cThe scale of what has been needed to make this happen has been prohibitive, until now. This is something I\u2019ve waited my entire career to see, and it\u2019s an honor to play a small part in this continental project.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to officials, residents are asked not to flock to the preserve as the bison get acclimated to their new surroundings.<\/p>\n
\u201cQuietness and calmness are what is needed to give these animals time to adjust and feel safe and secure at Burlington Prairie Forest Preserve,\u201d said Haberthur. \u201cIn addition, Burlington Prairie is one of the preserves that we partially close seasonally, due to the blowing and drifting snow in wintertime. This will give the bison even more time to adjust. Come spring, we\u2019re planning public events to celebrate and welcome the buffalo back to Kane,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Experts say bison are important to prairie ecosystems, feeding on plants and \u201cwallowing\u201d on the ground, causing small depressions that fill with water that helps to create microclimates.<\/p>\n
Elsewhere in the area, a herd of bison has been residing at the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, and have been for the last 10 years. \u00a0<\/p>\n