![]() HISTORY In 1924, a herd of fourteen American bison was introduced to Catalina Island to provide the backdrop for the production of a film. The herd remained on the Island after filming was complete and since its creation in 1972, the Conservancy has accepted the responsibility of maintaining a healthy herd, while minimizing their impact on the important wildlands habitat of Catalina Island. The Conservancy is also committed to recognizing the free-ranging bison’s significance on Catalina as a heritage herd woven into the Island’s cultural and economic fabric. Once Conservancy biologists evaluate the number of new calves, the sex of the calves and the number of remaining fertile female bison, they will determine when the contraception program needs to be re-initiated for some or all of the females. Careful monitoring of the bison herd will be required as the young are born and mature.
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Be aware that the bison on Catalina Island are a free-roaming, undomesticated herd. As such, they can act out defensively if they feel threatened or provolked. Interactions with bison may result in serious injury or worse. |