30 buffalo released into the wild on Colville Reservation
NESPELEM, Wash. - On Monday, 23 buffalo were released to live in the wild on the Colville Reservation, and seven additional buffalo are expected to be released on Tuesday.
The herd was released between Keller Ridge and Buffalo Lake and was a gift from the Kalispel Tribe, who had a surplus in stocking their own Reservation.
Of the group, 29 are female and one is male.
All animals are vaccinated and they are pure buffalo, not ‘beefalo’, which are buffalo crossbred with cattle.
"Buffalo are considered a keystone species because their presence has a ripple effect on every other species that lives in the same ecosystem. Their grazing can provide nesting grounds for birds, while their wallows (depressions they create by rolling in the soil) can fill with water, which in turn other species may use for drinking or breeding pools," Colville Tribes said in a press releases.
Earlier this month, the Biden Administration launched a $5 million initiative to support tribally-led efforts to strengthen bison conservation and expansion, improve management of existing herds, and restore native grassland habitats.
"Through historic funding from the Biden-Harris administration, we can support tribes in maintaining herds of buffalo. These herds are central to tribes’ cultural, spiritual and nutritional traditions, and they also preserve the ecosystems that sustain both bison and tribal communities," said Bryan Newland, the assistant secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs.