- I really enjoyed #BisonFestival @ElkIslandNP today. Time for an illustrated Twitter essay on bison management there! pic.twitter.com/XfojzoMxyR
https://twitter.com/TinaAdcock/status/632715809983348738
— Tina Adcock (@TinaAdcock)Sun, Aug 16 2015 00:49:39 - But first, here is a bison curled up just like a cat. He was twitching his tail, munching contentedly on grass. pic.twitter.com/L0W7ydvrnJ
https://twitter.com/TinaAdcock/status/632716288217907200
— Tina Adcock (@TinaAdcock)Sun, Aug 16 2015 00:51:33 - Cool fact no 1 about @ElkIslandNP: it's the only fenced-in national park in Canada.
https://twitter.com/TinaAdcock/status/632729414367776768
— Tina Adcock (@TinaAdcock)Sun, Aug 16 2015 01:43:42 - Cool fact #2: @ElkIslandNP, with many moose, deer, and elk as well as bison, has the 2nd-highest density of ungulates of any park worldwide.
https://twitter.com/TinaAdcock/status/632730195569414144
— Tina Adcock (@TinaAdcock)Sun, Aug 16 2015 01:46:48 - .@ElkIslandNP's herds have been disease-free since the 1970s. They've translocated 2000+ bison worldwide. pic.twitter.com/UEJUEQNoMb
https://twitter.com/TinaAdcock/status/632731061852569600
— Tina Adcock (@TinaAdcock)Sun, Aug 16 2015 01:50:15 - This metal trailer transported bison to Russia. Notice the scoring from their horns (seen from the outside!) pic.twitter.com/2i3meFYVXN
https://twitter.com/TinaAdcock/status/632731806488395776
— Tina Adcock (@TinaAdcock)Sun, Aug 16 2015 01:53:12 - Since a translocation to Cuba failed, they've tried only to send bison to places resembling their native prairie climate/biotic habitat.
https://twitter.com/TinaAdcock/status/632731417194008576
— Tina Adcock (@TinaAdcock)Sun, Aug 16 2015 01:51:40 - We got to tour the million-dollar bison handling facility @ElkIslandNP, which was really fascinating. pic.twitter.com/OFCedeWxVK
https://twitter.com/TinaAdcock/status/632732649677676544
— Tina Adcock (@TinaAdcock)Sun, Aug 16 2015 01:56:33 - Temple Grandin, the renowned animal psychologist, helped them redesign the facility so as to make it a more humane experience for the bison.
https://twitter.com/TinaAdcock/status/632733095452540928
— Tina Adcock (@TinaAdcock)Sun, Aug 16 2015 01:58:20 - The chutes are now curved to better suit bison's range of vision. They can see the path ahead & get less stressed. pic.twitter.com/u821HtVVTH
https://twitter.com/TinaAdcock/status/632733829183107072
— Tina Adcock (@TinaAdcock)Sun, Aug 16 2015 02:01:15 - They also hang blue flags by the individual holding stalls because the colour has a calming effect on the bison. pic.twitter.com/joxpFMpSlh
https://twitter.com/TinaAdcock/status/632734104891428864
— Tina Adcock (@TinaAdcock)Sun, Aug 16 2015 02:02:20 - In the "squeeze," where bison get their check-ups, each is held by the shoulders using an adjustable vise. pic.twitter.com/VUxavaZ0Oh
https://twitter.com/TinaAdcock/status/632734665137192960
— Tina Adcock (@TinaAdcock)Sun, Aug 16 2015 02:04:34 - Gentle pressure on their shoulders calms the bison. As herd animals, they're used to being pressed up against others at that height.
https://twitter.com/TinaAdcock/status/632734959346683905
— Tina Adcock (@TinaAdcock)Sun, Aug 16 2015 02:05:44 - Veterinary tools. The long pink glove is used to check cows for pregnancies. The blue glove, you can probably guess. pic.twitter.com/9BqFS2WyUH
https://twitter.com/TinaAdcock/status/632735339157716992
— Tina Adcock (@TinaAdcock)Sun, Aug 16 2015 02:07:15 - The holding pens had "triangles" for human shelter in case of angry bison. Only 2 workers have ever been injured. pic.twitter.com/RdKKtE2zGH
https://twitter.com/TinaAdcock/status/632736724456607744
— Tina Adcock (@TinaAdcock)Sun, Aug 16 2015 02:12:45 - This is @ElkIslandNP's original barn, built 1907. It housed the horses that wardens used to patrol the park. pic.twitter.com/kfkXUfake9
https://twitter.com/TinaAdcock/status/632737316709097478
— Tina Adcock (@TinaAdcock)Sun, Aug 16 2015 02:15:06 - Wardens no longer patrol on horseback, but material artifacts from that era remain. pic.twitter.com/PuR6dEFz0z
https://twitter.com/TinaAdcock/status/632737672163790848
— Tina Adcock (@TinaAdcock)Sun, Aug 16 2015 02:16:31 - Here's a 1980s-era artifact, which ranks among the finest photos of human-bison interaction ever recorded. pic.twitter.com/G5XZKCM8o5
https://twitter.com/TinaAdcock/status/632738523330678784
— Tina Adcock (@TinaAdcock)Sun, Aug 16 2015 02:19:54 - This model Ukrainian pioneer house dates to 1951. It was meant to house an Elk Island Museum that never materialized. pic.twitter.com/uviQl4K1F2
https://twitter.com/TinaAdcock/status/632739824378576897
— Tina Adcock (@TinaAdcock)Sun, Aug 16 2015 02:25:04 - There are many entwined human, non-human, & natural histories still to be told about this park. pic.twitter.com/YJf9rw7k04
https://twitter.com/TinaAdcock/status/632741121165127680
— Tina Adcock (@TinaAdcock)Sun, Aug 16 2015 02:30:13 - The #BisonFestival was held at beautiful Astotin Lake, the heart of the original Elk Island preserve. pic.twitter.com/G07y7rc8AT
https://twitter.com/TinaAdcock/status/632742191006281729
— Tina Adcock (@TinaAdcock)Sun, Aug 16 2015 02:34:28 - Neither the largest nor showiest of Canada's national parks, @ElkIslandNP's still worth a visit. These guys await you pic.twitter.com/EPyJyr6yqI
https://twitter.com/TinaAdcock/status/632743029191774208
— Tina Adcock (@TinaAdcock)Sun, Aug 16 2015 02:37:48 - The end. (Thanks for reading!) pic.twitter.com/YyyQsTfnsj
https://twitter.com/TinaAdcock/status/632743804970233856
— Tina Adcock (@TinaAdcock)Sun, Aug 16 2015 02:40:53
