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A herd of some 50 bison on the Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge near Watrous in northern New Mexico is being studied by conservation biologists from the Denver Zoo. (Photo Courtesy Denver Zoo)
Denver Zoo conservation biologists are studying the effects bison have on their ecosystem in northern New Mexico, according to a zoo news release.
This is one of several projects being undertaken by the zoo as it takes over management of the Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge near the small town of Watrous, the release said.
Researchers are testing theories on a herd of about 50 bison that roam most of the grounds in a low-stress environment, according to the release.
One area of study is how bison grazing influences the local plant and animal life in contrast to cattle, and another is how bison’s replacement by cows on the Great Plains may have disrupted other species’ habitats, zoo officials said.
Denver Zoo took over management of the Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge in November 2012.
The 5,000-acre property, roughly 80 miles east of Santa Fe, was donated by philanthropist Gene Thaw to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in September 2012 to protect it for conservation purposes.
Thaw asked Denver Zoo conservation biologists to manage its programs as they had already been working the property for several years, according to the release.
