American Bison
Tagged: animal, animals, cat, mammalBison bison
Formerly America’s most abundant large mammal and integral to the culture of native Americans, the bison was hunted to the brink of extinction during the development of North America. It is now numerous once more, and large herds live in protected areas and on ranches. Plodding across the plains, bison look like pretty solid, sedate animals. However, they can swim, run fast-up to 30 mph (50 km/h)-and even jump over 3 feet (90 cm) into the air! They live in herds of up to several hundred animals, breaking up into smaller groups in winter. They make annual migrations to spread their feeding over a wide area. They also travel each day to drink. Today bison herds are limited in where they can roam because of towns, railways, and cattle fences. Mating takes place in July and August, when the largest numbers are gathered together. At this time the bulls make loud bellowing noises that can be heard 3 miles (5 km) away. The bison was once abundant, with perhaps 60 million roaming across the American prairies. For many Native Americans bison were at the very center of their existence. The animals provided skins for homes and clothing; sinews were used as string or for sewing; the fur made cushions; and the meat was their main food. Paths made by the animals provided routes through dense vegetation and over rocky hills. The bison also caught the imagination of native American communities, figuring prominently in their folklore.
Slaughtered for Sport
As settlers pushed farther west, particularly during the 19th century, the plains were developed as farmland, and the bison were forced out of their ancestral range. Men like Buffalo Bill specialized in hunting the animals, particularly to feed the workers building the new railroads. The bison were also shot for sport, with hunters competing to see how many they could kill in a day. Once the railroads were running, it was also possible to export the meat and hides (bones too, for fertilizer) to distant markets. Out on the plains there was nowhere for the animals to hide, and they were ruthlessly pursued until in 1890 there were only a few hundred animals left alive. Fortunately, conservationists, led by William Hornaday, realized that one of America’s national emblems was on the verge of extinction. Formed in 1905, the American Bison Society championed successful captive-breeding programs and herd management to ensure that the bison was saved from oblivion. Many have been released in areas from which they were lost long ago: Large numbers now exist in Alaska, where they were reintroduced in 1928. In many places bison now breed so successfully that they risk eating all the available food and starving during the winter. For this reason hunters are allowed to shoot small numbers each year to prevent the population getting too large. The meat is often in demand because it is less fatty than beef. Bison are sometimes called buffalo, but they are more closely related to cattle and can breed with them. They also share similar diseases with cattle. True buffalo are quite different and are found in Africa.
Statistics:
American bison
Bison bison
- Family: Bovidae
- World population: About 500,000
- Distribution: Midwestern U.S. and Canada
- Habitat: Prairies and wooded areas
- Size: Length: up to 12 ft (3.5 m); height at
- shoulder: up to 6.5 ft (1.9 m). Weight: 1,200-1,800 lb (500-800 kg); males up to 30% heavier than females
- Form: Large, stocky animal with large hump over the shoulders; the head is held low. Dark-brown coat; forelegs, neck, and shoulders covered in long, shaggy hairs. Horns are present in both sexes
- Diet: Mostly grass, also wild flowers, sedges, and shrubs such as willow, sagebrush, and birch. Active at all times, they eat over 1 % of their weight per day and need water daily. In winter they scrape in the snow to get at lichens and mosses
- Breeding: A single calf is born May-August after gestation of 9-10 months. It can run within 3 hours of birth and eats grass after the first week. Capable of breeding at 2-3 years. Life span up to 25 years
- Related endangered species: European bison (Bison bonasus)
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