CLARK COUNTY, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — A Clark County family is restoring wild buffalo to the region where early explorers first encountered the animals, reviving a piece of Kentucky's natural history along the ancient path the herds once carved through the landscape.

Buffalo Ridge Ranch, co-owned by Jo Staats, sits along the Buffalo Trace — the historic corridor wild buffalo once traveled from the salt licks of Kentucky to the prairies of Illinois. Historians say massive herds followed this natural path through Clark County long before settlers arrived.

"They were here before we were," Staats said.

The mission began as something personal. After her husband was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, the couple decided to change their diet, eventually raising their own source of protein. What started as a lifestyle change evolved into a passion for preservation.

They packed up their farm in Tennessee and headed north, following the trail that led them back to the foundation herd at Blackfish Bison Ranch in Winchester.

"So when we loaded them up and bought them up the interstate in trailers, I had to laugh and think, 'They've really got it made nowadays. They don't have to walk all those miles anymore,'" Staats said.

Today, the free-roaming herd grazes through continuous pastures. The animals range from 1,500-pound bulls to days-old calves, and Staats says life revolves around the herd — ensuring they are healthy and accounted for. She has even given some of them nicknames.

"I call him the cookie monster," Staats said. "We keep things as natural as we can and as wild and free as possible."

The goal, Staats says, is a full restoration of the region's natural heritage.

"And that's our goal, to return the history, from the grasses to the animals," Staats said.

By September, Staats hopes to open Buffalo Ridge Ranch to the public, with a focus on school groups and veterinary students.

"Well, we hope it'll be openly welcomed and folks will find some peace from it in the same way that we get to enjoy it every day," Staats said.

Updates on Buffalo Ridge Ranch are available on the organization's social media.