Ten facts about bison
Oct 6th, 2011 by wwftravel
Our June Montana tour gives you exclusive access to the American Prairie Foundation reserve, putting you in close but safe proximity to bison. © WWF-US / Steve Morello
The Northern Great Plains region owes much of its historic biodiversity to the once-ubiquitous bison. An icon of the plains, the American bison once saw populations comprised of upwards of 60 million individuals.
10. Bison can persist in arid regions (Mexico) and in areas experiencing deep snow cover (Yellowstone National Park). Grasses and sedges form the mainstay of the mammal’s annual diet in all regions.
9. Bison are highly adapted to life on the plains: In winter, for example, their metabolism slows to 25 percent of its summer rate to conserve energy when forage becomes scarce.
8. Bison populations were decimated in the 1800s when the commercial market for bison hides exploded, and Easterners traveled to the Great Plains to shoot bison for sport.
7. Males weigh up to 2,000 pounds and measure six feet high at the shoulder. The largest wild male recorded was 2,800 pounds.
6. The Lakota word for the American bison is tatanka.
5. Though they appear slow because of their size and seemingly lethargic lifestyle, bison can run faster than 30 miles an hour.
4. Between 1980 and 1999, more than three times as many people in Yellowstone National Park were injured by bison than by bears. They are easily agitated.
3. A bison can jump six feet in the air.
2. There are 500,000 bison in North America and fewer than 30,000 in public herds within protected areas.
1. Bison, as graziers, play an important role in maintaining ecosystem health in North American prairies.