The human population of Fort Providence is around 750, though the bison population in the Mackenzie Bison Sanctuary near by is over 2,000. The Mackenzie Bison Sanctuary was established in the 1960s to protect the remaining bison in the area, whose population was as high as 200,000 in the early 20th century. The North American bison, also known as buffalo, is the largest land animal in North America, with a bull standing at more than 2 metres (6.5 feet) and weighing more than a tonne.