FORT COLLINS — A rare herd of genetically pure bison will roam the plains in Larimer County this year for the first time since the Civil War era.
In November, conservationists expect to release 12 bison descended from the last pure wild bison herd onto 800 acres of Soapstone Prairie and Red Mountain Open Space. The herd exists because of technology pioneered at Colorado State University.
The Yellowstone herd, the last reservoir of pure bison, is stricken with brucellosis, a highly contagious infection that meant the herd was not a pool for reproduction.
In the past three years, the Fort Collins team has successfully taken embryos from infected mothers, freed them of disease and transplanted them into healthy bison for healthy babies with pure genetics.
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