American bison now roam an Illinois prairie near Chicago for the first time in more than two centuries.

The Forest Preserve District of Kane County announced that the animals first arrived at a Burlington Prairie Forest Preserve corral on Dec. 5, according to a Kane County Connects press release. The project brings together three partners.

The Forest Preserve District owns the land, the American Indian Center of Chicago owns the bison and Ruhter Bison oversees the herd. Officials had worked for years to complete the agreement, which was promised to locals as part of a 2024 referendum. (RELATED: Gargantuan Bison Nearly Clips Yellowstone Tourists After Charging At Them In Scary Video)

“This is something I’ve waited my entire career to see, and it’s an honor to play a small part in this continental project,” said Benjamin Haberthur, executive director of the Forest Preserve District of Kane County. “This is a moment that transcends generations.”

A herd of bison has returned to Burlington Prairie in Kane County, part of a long-awaited return led by the American Indian Center https://t.co/6olab7L4Ud

— CBS Chicago (@cbschicago) January 10, 2026

The herd consists of three males and three females on 38 acres of restored prairie about 60 miles to downtown Chicago’s northwest, Phys.org reported, citing Haberthur. Officials plan to use them as a breeding herd.

Introduced in 2014, they were the first bison moved east of the Mississippi River for conservation, Phys.org reported. The last recorded wild bison sighting in Illinois occurred in 1870. Before settlers converted grasslands to ranches and farms, the animals shaped the prairie ecosystem for centuries.

Patrick Chess, the district’s natural resource management director, said bison provide ecological benefits beyond their historical presence, according to Kane County Connects. The animals feed on prairie plants and create small depressions in the land when they wallow. Those depressions collect water and form microclimates that support other wildlife.

“In protecting them, we’re protecting ourselves, because again, they provided us with everything we ever needed,” said Robert Wapahi, a Santee Sioux tribal elder, according to CBS Chicago.

The American Indian Center conducted a ceremonial blessing before the bison arrived. The preserve will remain closed through winter to let the animals adjust. Officials intend to hold public events in spring to welcome visitors.