Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Nahanni Butte (May 31/02) - Dead buffalo are turning up in Nahanni Butte and local residents are curious to know why.

"Last week we discovered three buffalo carcasses," said senior office administrator Pauline Campbell-Vital. "We haven't seen any buffalo around town in a while."

According to Gavin More, area manager for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, the cause of death for one animal is certain, while another remains a mystery.

He had yet to check out a third carcass found in a muskeg region close to the Liard River.

"We've had a number of them reported throughout the last month," said More.

"Some of them appear to be drownings.

"One in town is a mystery, the other is a clear cut case of starvation. You can tell, because if the marrow looks red, it's a sure sign of winter kill."

Five dead buffalo have been discovered in or near Nahanni Butte so far this year.

Gavin said the starved buffalo was found last Saturday lying dead on the property of Nahanni Butte outfitters on the outskirts of town.

It was an old female who likely was unable to forage for food in the deep snow this winter.

The other dead buffalo More investigated near town proved a little more troublesome.

"The other buffalo is a male in his prime," said More. "It's a wonderful looking animal."

More said biologists from Fort Smith are coming in to take a look at the dead bull to see if it might have been diseased.

More said there could have been other reasons for its death.

"There was a report of an animal hit by a vehicle recently," said More. "It could've possibly died from a gunshot wound, but there were no obvious signs."

The buffalo herd near Nahanni Butte are part of an ongoing relocation project involving bison from Elk Island, Alta., an area known for its disease-free animals.

More is uncertain how large the Nahanni Butte herd is, but estimates it to be around 150 animals, and perhaps as many as 300.

"It's hard to tell how many there are. They're very dispersed," said More.

"You don't see large groups of them at a time."