January 4, 2026
Beef with the bison
Bison return to Illinois' Kane County after 200 years
Bison are back in Kane County — locals cheer, nitpick, and ask: fence or free-range
TLDR: Six bison just moved into a restored Kane County prairie, a cultural and ecological comeback guided by Indigenous stewards. Commenters celebrated, corrected geography, joked about local cougars, and debated whether the herd should roam free—or be admired from behind a fence.
Six shaggy American bison have returned to Illinois’ Kane County after 200 years, and the internet immediately turned into a prairie-side town hall. While conservationists celebrate a careful “rematriation” guided by the American Indian Center of Chicago, commenters rushed in with corrections, jokes, and hot takes. The fact-checkers pounced first: one pointed out that nearby Fermilab’s bison are in DuPage County, not Kane, and another was stunned to learn Burlington is in Kane, not DeKalb. Local pride hit the front page as hometown readers asked the big suburban question: will these bison roam like deer, or stay behind fences? Meanwhile, one unapologetic foodie lit a match by praising bison burgers—yes, loving bison by grilling them—prompting groans and giggles. Nostalgia flowed too, with memories of Kane’s rural edge and even a detour into World War I code-breaking history. Underneath the banter, the mission is serious: restoring prairie shaped by American bison, with hopes of knock-on wins for birds and native plants seen at Nachusa Grasslands. And, because the internet can’t resist, someone reminded everyone: Kane County already has cougars—of the feline kind—so maybe the bison won’t be the only celebrities on the block. In short: big beasts, bigger opinions, and peak Midwest energy.
Key Points
- •Six American bison were reintroduced to Burlington Prairie Forest Preserve in Kane County, Illinois, the first time in over 200 years.
- •The project is a collaboration between the Kane County Forest Preserve District and the American Indian Center of Chicago, which owns the animals.
- •Burlington Prairie, a former soybean field, has been under restoration since 2011 with 114 native plant species established.
- •Illinois once had 22 million acres of prairie; today less than 0.1% remains, with major losses occurring by the early 20th century.
- •The herd originates from Nachusa Grasslands, where bison were reintroduced in 2014, and the effort aims to restore ecological functions such as grazing-driven biodiversity.