Syncrude has shut down all company operations in the Fort McMurray area because of the massive wildfire that is still raging, and the wood bison herd that has taken decades to build up are still at risk. This is the first time ever that the energy giant has stopped all operations, and the herd that Syncrude took so much time and money to populate in order to show that reclamation efforts can be effective. The wood bison herd has 300 animals, and they are maintained at the Beaver Creek Wood Bison Ranch close to the Mildred Lake project that Syncrude operates. According to a statement from company spokesperson Leithan Slade “Syncrude has left as much food and water as possible for the bison and they remain on site at this time.”

Syncrude is just one of several oil companies that have evacuated all of their personnel close to the fort McMurray area, but the wood bison herd can not be evacuated like the people can. The herd of wood bison is a point of pride for most of the people in Fort McMurray and the surrounding area because the animals are native to the area. It may be possible to attempt to evacuate the herd at some point in the future but this would be a risky endeavor that would be very costly and could cause stress on the animals or place them at risk for injury during the evacuation. Hopefully the fire crews will be able to prevent the wildfire from reaching the wood bison herd so that the animals remain safe.