Initiatives
Bison Presence Restored in the Grasslands of Northern Mexico
- SEMARNAT, CONANP, Cuenca Los Ojos, Fundación Pro Cuatrociénegas, and FMCN establish a new bison herd in Coahuila.
- Their reintroduction is essential to strengthening climate resilience, ecosystem regeneration, and the conservation of biodiversity in these emblematic ecosystems.
- This coordinated effort contributes to the conservation of the species and the restoration of the grasslands it inhabits.
The General Directorate for Wildlife (DGVS, acronym in Spanish) (Dirección General de Vida Silvestre) of the Undersecretariat for Biodiversity and Environmental Restoration of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT, in Spanish), the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP, in Spanish), Cuenca Los Ojos, A.C. (CLO), Fundación Pro Cuatrociénegas, and Fondo Mexicano para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (FMCN, acronym in Spanish) announced the successful arrival of 44 bison (Bison bison) to the Wildlife Management Unit (UMA, acronym in Spanish) “El Santuario”, located within the Natural Resources Protection Area Cuenca Alimentadora del Distrito Nacional de Riego 004 Don Martín, in Coahuila. The animals come from Rancho El Uno, in the Janos Biosphere Reserve in Chihuahua, where CLO manages the herd.
Photo: Fundación Pro Cuatrociénegas
This relocation marks a key milestone for conservation in Mexico by expanding the distribution of the American bison and strengthening restoration efforts in the grasslands of the Chihuahuan Desert. The bison is a keystone species for the regeneration of these ecosystems: it improves soil structure, supports native vegetation, and is more resilient to drought than cattle.
The establishment of this new population is part of a comprehensive strategy built around four lines of action:
- Strengthening the regulatory framework and advancing the reclassification of the bison under the “special protection” category.
- Implementing comprehensive population management, including herding, monitoring, and selecting individuals to establish new herds.
- Regulating population growth through a sustainable harvest rate to help reduce pressure on grasslands and maintain a healthy herd structure.
- Donating individuals to ranches with suitable conditions to promote the expansion of the species into new territories.
Representatives from the General Directorate of Wildlife, under the Undersecretariat for Biodiversity and Environmental Restoration at SEMARNAT, acknowledged the importance of joint efforts and the progress achieved through orderly, technically robust management aligned with national policies for the species.
The head of CONANP, Pedro Álvarez Icaza Longoria, emphasized that “the expansion of the bison demonstrates the value of alliances between public institutions, civil society organizations, and communities. Conservation advances when coordinated, long-term efforts are built hand in hand with the communities and ecosystems they inhabit. CONANP reaffirms its commitment to recognizing, respecting, and protecting the environmental rights of the Indigenous peoples and communities living in Protected Areas.”
For his part, the director of Fundación Pro Cuatrociénegas, Gerardo Ruiz Smith, celebrated the arrival of this new bison family: “Fundación Pro Cuatrociénegas, in alliance with the N'dee/N'nee/Ndé, opens the doors of the El Santuario Reserve to receive this herd, which will have ideal conditions to continue expanding the bison population in northern Mexico while regenerating ecosystems. We are honored to be part of this inter-institutional effort.”
Karen Suárez, part of the Cuenca Los Ojos team, noted: “The Janos population has grown significantly in recent years. Thanks to the coordination with FMCN, CONANP, SEMARNAT, and Fundación Pro Cuatrociénegas, today we are helping establish new herds that will strengthen bison conservation in Mexico.”
Photo: Fundación Pro Cuatrociénegas
“This relocation reflects FMCN’s commitment to restoring the grasslands of northern Mexico and to the responsible management of the Rancho El Uno herd. We are excited to see this keystone species advance into new territories and strengthen its ecological role in the region,” said Ana Laura Barillas, FMCN’s Conservation Director.
This milestone expands the distribution of the bison in Mexico, providing technical and regulatory certainty. This will encourage more landowners to welcome conservation herds and, in doing so, help reestablish the presence of the bison in northern Mexico through long-term efforts. The project also contributes positively to biocultural diversity, recognizing the Indigenous peoples who have maintained a thousand-year relationship of balance with this species.
Finally, beyond contributing to ecological restoration, the return of the bison strengthens the spirit of resilience and resistance of the N’dee/N’nee/Ndé Nation. This Indigenous people, who are reemerging throughout their territory and across the Chihuahuan Desert, see in this effort a key symbol that helps rekindle the connections needed to restore the region’s overall balance.
