The herds of bison roaming the northern reaches of the Grand Canyon are causing some headaches for park staff.
The bison were introduced to the area in 1906 as part of a ranching operation to crossbreed them with cattle. The state owns and maintains the bison on land outside the national park, but the animals have been spending a majority of their time within Grand Canyon boundaries.
The bison have travelled below the North Rim and grazed in other sensitive areas of the park, such as the Mexican spotted owl habitat and around archaeological sites and springs.
Grand Canyon officials are looking for ways to manage the roughly 300 bison in a way that rids them from the park and allows for a free-ranging population that can be hunted on forest land.
