For eight millenia, pronghorn antelope roamed the semi-arid steppe of northeastern Washington, but in the early 1900s the animals became victims of over-hunting and habitat destruction.

Pronghorn antelope.

Pronghorn antelope. Image by Darryl Darwent / CC BY 2.0

Fifteen years ago, biologists from the Colville Indian Reservation began a plan to reintroduce the lost animals, but their efforts were stymied by the species’ sensitivity, and the animals proved difficult to relocate. Last month the biologists returned from Nevada, where they had captured 52 animals in the high desert, with a plan to introduce them to their Washington habitat. The herd is the first half of a total of 100 animals the biologists plan to reintroduce. Read more: seattletimes.com