The American bison (Bison bison), extinct from the Coahuila desert for 160 years, has officially returned thanks to a major reintroduction effort at El Santuario, a nearly 4,000-hectare ecological reserve located in the Sierra de Menchaca, just 10 kilometers from Cuatro Ciénegas.
The project—led by the Fundación Pro Cuatro Ciénegas—aims to repopulate the valley, help regenerate soil, improve rainwater retention, and restore essential links in the local food chain, benefiting species like pumas and black bears.
Last Thursday morning, 44 bison (38 females and 6 males) were released into the reserve, three of them donated by the Museo del Desierto. The animals will now begin exploring and adapting to their new environment.
The initiative also hopes bison will become an additional tourist attraction in the Pueblo Mágico of Cuatro Ciénegas, offering visitors a unique and meaningful natural experience.
The species disappeared from the region due to intense human impact beginning in the late 19th century—overhunting, agricultural expansion, livestock pressure, and habitat loss all played a role in its decline.
Its return marks a crucial step in restoring ecological processes that had long been interrupted. The bison is considered an ecosystem engineer because its natural behavior promotes plant regrowth, enhances water infiltration, improves soil fertility, and reduces wildfire risk by preventing dry grass buildup—vital in an arid region like Cuatro Ciénegas.
According to Gerardo Ruiz, director of the foundation, most of the 44 bison came from Rancho El Uno, located in the Janos Biosphere Reserve—the site of Mexico’s first conservation herd, which currently maintains 500 animals.
The project is a coordinated effort among Fundación Pro Cuatro Ciénegas, Fondo Mexicano para la Conservación de la Naturaleza, Cuenca Los Ojos AC, and the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas.
This new herd becomes the third conservation bison herd established in Mexico.