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Parks Canada
National parks
Elk Island National Park
Science and nature
Over a century of bison conservation in Elk Island National Park
Multimedia gallery
Wood Bison Handling
Elk Island National Park
Bison Photo Gallery
Baby bison in Elk Island National Park
Over three days 350 bison will be moved from the outer pastures through the day handling pen, along the alleyway, around the swing gate tub, through the single chutes to the squeeze room in the very centre of the Wood Bison handling facility where our vet will access each animal.
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In the day-handling pen this wood bison is trying to get a better view.
Date: 2015:11:26 08:28:03
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The squared hump and forward hanging forehead hair identify these as Wood Bison.
Date: 2015:11:26 12:37:14
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The curved walls of the ‘swing-gate tub’ signal this wood bison to slow down and will gently direct him into the single chutes.
Date: 2015:11:26 12:38:02
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When two bison end up in the ‘swing-gate tub’ together we use flags to separate the pair so they enter the single chutes one at a time.
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Each single chute has a sliding gate at each end. Staff slide the gate open to create access to an empty chute and close it behind the bison as they move from one chute to the next.
Date: 2015:11:26 08:34:10
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Here all the single chutes are empty and this bull is free to move to the front of the line.
Date: 2015:11:26 08:37:20
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The wave of a flag is sometimes needed to encourage a bison to move along.
Date: 2015:11:26 11:48:26
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The squeeze operator runs the hydraulic controls that gently hold (squeeze) the bison so our vet (dressed in red) can safely check their age and take a blood sample.
Date: 2015:11:26 11:52:18
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Some jobs are more glamorous than others; here one of our staff is collecting a fecal sample to check for parasites.
Date: 2015:11:26 08:45:03
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You’re going the wrong way. Somehow this calf has ended up in the squeeze backwards. Superintendent, Stephen Flemming, opens the side of the squeeze to attach an ear tag.
Date: 2015:11:26 08:43:31
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My, what a big head you have!
Date: 2015:11:26 12:39:26
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Our vet collects a blood sample from the neck of a bison. The blood sample will be used to test for disease. The Elk Island Wood and Plains bison herds have been disease free since 1978.
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Once the blood sample is taken the sample vial is labeled with the bison’s identification number and prepared for transfer to the lab for testing
Date: 2015:11:26 11:53:28
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After being weighed, sexed, aged, tagged, and samples of blood, feces and hair have been collected, this bison is ready to return to the park.
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Date modified :
2018-07-03