North America was once home to more than 60 million bison, roaming free across flat grasslands and the mountain west. The animal was nearly hunted to extinction in the early 1900s, which led to conservation efforts by Theodore Roosevelt and others. While these efforts led to a rebound in the number of bison, Illinois has not seen free-roaming bison since the 1830s.

That changed last October when 20 bison were released into the Nachusa Grasslands in Franklin Grove, located 95 miles west of Chicago. Founded by The Nature Conservancy, one of the largest environmental nonprofits in the U.S., the Nachusa Grasslands provide bison with native prairie lands to graze and live. Prairies once covered 22 million acres in Illinois alone before farming practices reduced that number dramatically.

By bringing bison back to Illinois, the Nachusa Grasslands are helping not only bison thrive but also playing an important role in restoring native prairie lands to Illinois.

Learn more:
Want to see bison up close in Franklin Grove? Click here for information on visiting the Nachusa Grasslands
After a century, bison return to Illinois - Chicago Tribune