Joe McWilliams

Lakeside Leader

The recovery effort for at-large bison north of Slave Lake continued last week. Several of the 45 that had escaped the North Shore Homestead farm on April 23 were still on the loose most of the week. But on Friday morning, owner Roland Eben-Ebenau, had some good news. Three of the six remaining animals had been discovered not far from Gilwood Golf Course, and without much prompting at all, found their way back home.

The majority of the young bison had returned home earlier, more or less on their own, Eben-Ebenau said, retracing their outward journey along the lakeshore.

However, six got another idea in their heads when it came to crossing Lily Creek on their way back south. They broke off from the herd and ran off in another direction, he said, and were spotted some time later around the intersection of Hwy. 88 and 754.

As of May 3 the six mavericks were still unaccounted for, but as noted, the number of loose bison is now down to three.

As for how the escape happened, Eben-Ebenau says somehow the animals managed to open a gate latched with a chain. It’s the first time in 30 years of raising the animals that something like it has happened, he says.