57 bison relocated from North Rim of Grand Canyon

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. (AP) — Dozens of bison have been relocated from the Grand Canyon’s North Rim to Native American tribes in the Great Plains.

A recent roundup led to the transfer of 57 bison to the InterTribal Buffalo Council. Tribes in Kansas, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Oklahoma had requested some of the massive animals. The roundup is part of an effort to reduce the size of the herd roaming the far northern reaches of Arizona. The herd is estimated at between 400 and 600 bison. Officials at the Grand Canyon want it closer to 200.

The bison are descendants of those introduced to northern Arizona more than a century ago.