North American bison are now living in Central Asia

North American bison are now living near Astana / Photo: Shutterstock, photo editor: Milosh Muratovskiy

You don’t need to leave Kazakhstan to see real North American bison. The rare animals live in Buiratau National Park, about a three-hour drive from Astana, Kazakhstan’s capital.

The bison were brought to the park from Canada in 2020. Just 10 animals were introduced at first, but they quickly adapted to the local climate and began to reproduce. Today, the herd has grown to 24 bison roaming freely across more than 1,000 acres of protected land.

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Публикация от ZHULDYZ RAKHMET (@zhuldyz_rakhmet)

Visitors can see the bison by traveling to the village of Molodezhny in Kazakhstan’s Karaganda region, roughly 110 miles from Astana. The national park’s administrative office is located there, where entry permits are issued. Admission costs about $3.50, and guided tours are available for an additional fee.