American Bison
Bison bison
American Bison are iconic symbols of the United States and the Great Plains. They are commonly referred to as buffalo but while they do have similar features such as large bodies and horns, the two are not closely related at all. These massive herbivores can weigh between nine hundred to over two thousand pounds. They can get anywhere from seven to eleven feet long and six feet tall. American Bison are the largest surviving terrestrial animals found in North America. Their bodies are covered in thick, insulated fur keeping them safe during snowy, winter months. To much surprise, although they are large, they are also rather agile, running quickly, swimming strongly, and excellent at jumping.
Though bison are no longer endangered, they were once overhunted during the nineteenth century. It is estimated that settlers killed close to fifty million bison in the nineteenth century, for food and sport, and to prevent the Native Americans from hunting their greatest asset. In the 1830s, the Comanche killed close to three hundred thousand bison in a year. Unlike Americans, who hunted only for their skins leaving the meat to rot and selfishly taking them away from the Native Americans, the Native Americans used all of the bison and left none to waste. During this time, a severe drought caused the bison populations to decrease as well.
Towards the end of the nineteenth century, many conservationists began realizing that the bison numbers were dwindling. These men and women began to implement ways to preserve what little population was left. While the government did not help at the time, many conservationists bred the bison on private land in hopes of boosting the population. Later on, Theodore Roosevelt became enamored by the bison. During a hunt in 1889, he felt a great loss for the animals, stating that they had nearly vanished. In 1905, the American Bison Society was formed at the Bronx Zoo, where Theodore Roosevelt was named honorary president. He used his power as president of the United States to help secure land and promote reintroduction projects for the bison.
Now, these beautiful creatures can be seen on both private and public lands. It is estimated that there are over thirty thousand wild bison found in the United States and more than five hundred thousand live on ranches and preserves. The bison live in small herds for most of the year but come together in one large herd during the summer for mating. The female will give birth to one calf nine months later. On average, these beautiful animals can live up to twenty years in the wild.
Featured photo by: Nick Dunlap
