Texas drought forces relocation of bison

HOUSTON, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- Authorities in Texas say drought conditions have forced them to relocate a herd of 11 bison that have called a Houston public park home for decades.

Harris County officials say Deussen Park has lost 1,000 trees in the drought so far, which is why the bison were loaded up and taken to a ranch near the Oklahoma border, KTRK-TV, Houston, reported Wednesday.

The county spends about $8,500 a year to care for the animals and the cost of feed and hay has been increasing in the drought conditions, officials said.

"As you can see, the ground has very little grass and we just need to get a better place for them," Paul Mauricio, representative with Harris Co. Precinct One, said.

The animals are being moved to north Texas to the Medicine Mound Ranch near Wichita Falls courtesy of the Summerlee Foundation, where they will join 71 other bison.

"It's been difficult really on all animals in Texas, on all livestock it's been just a horrible year. And so it's required us to have additional food stock as well as sources of water, and it will continue I think into this next year, but we're prepared," John Crain of the Summerlee Foundation said.