COLUMBUS, Ohio — In the middle of Columbus, it’s an unexpected sight. Bison roam the Darby plains much as they did 400 years ago.

This bison herd calls Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park home. 

It’s a “7,000-acre reserve right on the Big and Darby little creeks,” said Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks Executive Director Tim Moloney.

Moloney said bison are the largest mammal in North America, and they’re a big part of his passion for the outdoors.

“We’ve had our herd for well over 10 years now and a week doesn’t go by where I don’t talk to somebody and they say ‘You have bison?’ It’s still shock to some people that there’s native bison here in central Ohio," he said.

The free-grazing herd was reintroduced to the area thanks to a partnership with The Wilds in Zanesville. Moloney said they’re working to restore the population, study the animals and really “put back in Ohio what was once here.”

“This partnership not only is a great way to get people outside but to really introduce them to something they wouldn’t expect normally in the state of Ohio," he said. 

Visitors are welcome to visit Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park year-round to view the animals. For more information, you can visit metroparks.net.