There are many amazing creatures living in North America, but when it comes to the largest mammal on the continent, it is the impressive bison, commonly called a buffalo. This animal has been walking these lands for hundreds of thousands of years.

Before they became over-hunted, there were an estimated 30-60 million of them living at a time throughout the United States and Canada. When the Westward expansion began in the 19th century, however, things got hard for the bison.

Buffalo had long been hunted by native Americans and used for clothing, meat, tools, and more. In an effort to make things difficult for the native Americans, the US army had a campaign to slaughter the bison.

At the worst point, there were fewer than 1000 wild bison still alive. Fortunately, some citizens recognized that this was a huge problem and took action. According to the US Department of the Interior:

“Had it not been for a few private individuals working with Tribes, states and the Department of the Interior, the bison would be extinct today.”

Today, there are about 31,000 bison in the wild with another 360,000 kept as domesticated livestock. Those numbers are generally improving each year as well.

Bison are incredible creatures, and it is a good thing not just for them that they were saved, but for humans as well. Wild bison do a great job at fertilizing the land where they roam, and they keep the ground soft thanks to walking on it with all their weight.

These massive creatures weigh between 500 and 900 kilograms (1102-1984 pound). They can also run at up to 55 kilometers (34 miles) per hour, which is remarkable. Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that they are able to jump 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) high.

While bison still have a long way to go before they get to the numbers they once had (and honestly, it will likely never happen), it is good to see that they have recovered so much up to this point.

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