In southern Saskatchewan’s Buffalo Pound Provincial Park, a group of over a dozen bison are now being tracked electronically over a vast area of 100 hectares of hilly terrain. The park’s staff has affixed ear tags equipped with GPS technology to 14 of these majestic creatures, located just over 50 kilometers west of Regina. These solar-powered tags transmit location data to a nearby communications tower, which then relays real-time information about the bison’s whereabouts to a computer program at the park’s visitor center every 15 minutes.
Visitors to the center can observe the bison’s movements on a dashboard presented on a television screen. This innovative tracking system, initiated in October 2024, aims to address the long-standing query from park visitors about the bison’s whereabouts, as articulated by Dave Bjarnason, the park’s manager. The bison, present in the park since 1972, are represented as white dots with individual names on a satellite map displayed on the TV screen.
Dale Gross, a grasslands ecologist with Saskatchewan Parks, expressed excitement about utilizing the GPS tags for his research on the bison’s grazing behaviors and their interactions with the environment. By studying where the bison graze and how it influences their diet, Gross can optimize their foraging habits. This research will guide the strategic placement of salt and water sources for the bison to prevent overgrazing in specific areas, promoting the growth of healthy grass.
Moreover, these findings are not limited to the park setting but can be valuable for farms with cattle, enhancing their feeding practices. Gross emphasized the significance of bison in the Prairie grassland ecosystem, attributing the fertility of the soil to their historical presence. He underscored the critical role bison played in the grasslands’ ecology over millennia, benefiting both Indigenous communities in the past and contemporary society.
Bjarnason mentioned that the GPS interface is accessible through an app, currently restricted to park staff but with plans for a future public release. This development aims to offer educational opportunities to various groups, such as schools, enabling them to engage with the bison tracking technology. By increasing access to observing these animals, Bjarnason hopes to foster greater interest and understanding among visitors about the bison’s significance in the region.