| Latin Name: | Bison bison |
| Category: | Mammals |
| Fun Facts: |
- A bison’s head and body length ranges from 6 1/2 to nearly 12 feet long, and it stands from five to 6 1/2 feet tall at the shoulder. It can weigh from 770 to just over 2,000 pounds.
- The American bison is the largest land animal in North America.
- A baby bison can run three hours after birth.
- Bison are good swimmers and can run up to 30 m.p.h.
- The shaggy fur around a bison’s head and neck protect it from both the hot sun and the cold and snow.
- Bison eat mainly grass, but will also eat brush, bark and other plant parts.
- A bison usually lives between 15 and 20 years in the wild.
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| Information: |
Early in our nation’s history, before European settlers came, it is estimated there were between 30 and 70 million bison in America. Native Americans would follow the bison herds, hunting only as many as they needed and using every part of the animal: meat for food; skins for clothing and shelter; horns, hooves and bones for tools; sinew for thread and rope; and droppings for fuel.
When settlers pushed west in the 1800s, they began to kill the bison in large numbers to trade the skins and meat. Bison were also killed simply to get rid of them. By getting rid of the bison, settlers thought they could get Native Americans to move to other land and also use the bison’s grazing lands for their cattle. By 1890, they had nearly succeeded; there were less than 1,000 bison left in the c ountry.
The population of bison has increased to about 200,000 in the United States, mostly due to the protection of bison herds in national parks and privately-owned ranches. There are few bison that are wild and free-ranging. The American bison is listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
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| Habitat: |
Located in the prairie section of the Zoo's North America Region, these animals share a large grassland exhibit space with the pronghorn. These animals are adapted to life in the American prairie states, where temperatures range from very cold to hot. The bison and pronghorn are comfortable in an outdoor exhibit year round.
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