President Barack Obama has signed the National Bison Legacy Act, which adopts the largest North American mammal as the national animal of United States.
The U.S. Department of Interior tweeted the decision, saying, "Say hello to our new national mammal."
According to the Department of the Interior (DOI), during “prehistoric times, millions of bison roamed North America from the forests of Alaska and the grasslands of Mexico to Nevada’s Great Basin and the eastern Appalachian Mountains. But by the late 1800s, there were only a few hundred bison left in the United States after European settlers pushed west, reducing the animal’s habitat and hunting the bison to near extinction. Had it not been for a few private individuals working with tribes, states and the Interior Department, the bison would be extinct today.”
Few facts about the American bison from the DOI:
“Yellowstone National Park is the only place in the U.S. where bison have continuously lived since prehistoric times. What makes Yellowstone’s bison so special is that they’re the pure descendants (free of cattle genes) of early bison that roamed our country’s grasslands. As of July 2015, Yellowstone’s bison population was estimated at 4,900 making it the largest bison population on public lands.”
“The history of bison and Native Americans are intertwined. Bison have been integral to tribal culture, providing them with food, clothing, fuel, tools, shelter and spiritual value. Established in 1992, the Inter Tribal Buffalo Council works with the National Park Service to transfer bison from national park lands to tribal lands.”
Baby bison are called “red dogs.” These calves are usually “born from late March through May and are orange-red in color, earning them the nickname ‘red dogs.’ After a few months, their hair starts to change to dark brown and their characteristic shoulder hump and horns begin to grow.”
In experts view, a bison’s mood can be judged by its tail. If it hangs down and adjusts naturally, the bison is usually calm. “If the tail is standing straight up, watch out! It may be ready to charge. No matter what a bison’s tail is doing, remember that they are unpredictable and can charge at any moment. Every year, there are regrettable accidents caused by people getting too close to these massive animals. It’s great to love the bison, but love them from a distance.”
The difference between a bison and buffalo is the name. They are the same. In North America, the scientific name is bison. “Actually, it’s Bison bison bison (genus: Bison, species: bison, subspecies: bison), but only saying it once is fine. Historians believe that the term “buffalo” grew from the French word for beef, boeuf.”
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Nandini
