Difference between revisions of "Bison" - New World Encyclopedia

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{{Taxobox_begin | color = pink | name = ''Bison''}}
 
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{{Taxobox_image | image = [[Image:Зубр.jpg|250px|Wisent]] | caption = [[Wisent|European Bison]]}}
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{{Taxobox_image | image = [[Image:American bison k5680-1.jpg|200px|American bison]] | caption=American bison}}
 
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{{Taxobox_classis_entry | taxon = [[Mammal]]ia}}
 
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{{Taxobox_familia_entry | taxon = [[Bovidae]]}}
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{{Taxobox_familia_entry | taxon = [[Bovid|Bovidae]]}}
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{{Taxobox_subfamilia_entry | taxon = [[Bovinae]]}}
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{{Taxobox_subfamilia_entry | taxon = Bovinae}}
 
{{Taxobox_genus_entry | taxon = '''''Bison'''''}}<br/>{{Taxobox authority | author = [[Carolus Linnaeus|Linnaeus]] | date = 1758}}
 
{{Taxobox_genus_entry | taxon = '''''Bison'''''}}<br/>{{Taxobox authority | author = [[Carolus Linnaeus|Linnaeus]] | date = 1758}}
 
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{{Taxobox_section_subdivision | color = pink | plural_taxon = [[Species]]}}
 
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''[[Bison antiquus|B. antiquus]]''<br>
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''B. bison''<br/>
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''[[American Bison|B. bison]]''<br>
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''B. bonasus''<br/>
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''[[Wisent |B. bonasus]]''<br>
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''B. antiquus'' extinct<br/>
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''[[Bison latifrons|B. latifrons]]''<br>
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''B. latifrons'' extinct<br/>
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''[[Bison occidentalis|B. occidentalis]]''<br>
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''B. occidentalis'' extinct<br/>
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''[[Steppe Wisent|B. priscus]]''<br>
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''B. priscus'' extinct<br/>
 
{{Taxobox_end}}
 
{{Taxobox_end}}
  
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'''Bison''' are members of the genus ''Bison'' of the [[Bovid]] family of the even-toed [[ungulate]]s, or hoofed [[mammal]]s. There are three types of living bison:  
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'''Bison''' are members of the [[genus]] ''Bison'' of the [[Bovid]] family of the [[Ungulate#Artiodactyla: Even-toed ungulates|even-toed]] [[ungulate]]s, or hoofed [[mammal]]s. There are two extant (living) [[species]] of bison:  
  
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*The American bison (''Bison bison bison''), the most famous bison, formerly one of the most common large animals in North America
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*The American bison (''Bison bison''), the most famous bison, formerly one of the most common large animals in [[North America]]
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*The Wood bison (''Bison bison athabascae''), considered to be a subspecies of the American bison
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*The [[Europe]]an bison or wisent (''Bison bonasus'')
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*The European bison or Wisent (''Bison bonasus'')
 
  
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There were also several other species of bison which became extinct within the last 10,000 years.
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There are two extant subspecies of the American bison, the Plains bison (''Bison bison bison'') and the wood bison (''Bison bison athabascae''). There were also several other species and subspecies of bison that became [[extinction|extinct]] within the last 10,000 years.
  
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Bison are very closely related to [[cattle]], yaks, true [[buffalo]], and other members of the subfamily Bovinae.
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Bison were once very numerous in North America and Europe, but overhunting resulted in their near extinction. The American bison was reduced from herds of about 30 million in the 1500s to about 1,000 individuals, and the wisent was reduced to fewer than 50 animals, all in zoos. Today, both species have been managed to significant recoveries.
  
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==American Bison==
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Bison are often called ''buffalo'' in North America, but this is technically incorrect since true [[buffalo]] are native only to [[Asia]] (water buffalo) and [[Africa]] (African buffalo). Bison are very closely related to true buffalo, as well as [[cattle]], yaks, and other members of the subfamily Bovinae, or bovines.
  
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{{Taxobox_begin | color = pink | name = American Bison}}<br />{{StatusConcern}}
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==Bison physiology and behavior==
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{{Taxobox_image | image = [[Image:American bison k5680-1.jpg|200px|American bison]] | caption =[[Media:Bull Bison in Mud Volcano Area-750px.JPG|Alternate image]]<br />
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Bison are among the largest hoofed mammals, standing 1.5 to 2 meters (5 to 6.5 feet) at the shoulder and weighing 350 to 1000 kg (800 to 2,200 lbs). Males are on average larger than females. The head and forequarters of bison are especially massive with a large hump on the shoulders. Both sexes have horns with the male's being somewhat larger (Nowak 1983).  
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[[media:Bison_Drawing_historic.jpg|Historic drawing]]<br />
 
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[[Media:Bison.wav|Bison call audio]]}}
 
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{{Taxobox_regnum_entry | taxon = [[Animal]]ia}}
 
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{{Taxobox_phylum_entry | taxon = [[Chordate|Chordata]]}}
 
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{{Taxobox_classis_entry | taxon = [[mammal|Mammalia]]}}
 
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{{Taxobox_ordo_entry | taxon = [[Artiodactyla]]}}
 
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{{Taxobox_familia_entry | taxon = [[Bovidae]]}}
 
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{{Taxobox_subfamilia_entry | taxon = [[Bovinae]]}}
 
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{{Taxobox_genus_entry | taxon = ''[[Bison]]''}}
 
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{{Taxobox_species_entry | taxon = '''''B. bison'''''}}
 
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{{Taxobox_section_binomial | color = pink | binomial_name = Bison bison | author = [[Carolus Linnaeus|Linnaeus]] | date = 1758}}
 
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{{Taxobox_section_subdivision | color = pink | plural_taxon = Subspecies}}
 
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''[[Wood Bison|B. b. athabasacae]]''<br />
 
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''[[Plains Bison|B. b. bison]]''
 
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{{Taxobox_end}}
 
  
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Bison mature in about two years and have an average life span of about twenty years. A female bison can have a calf every year, with mating taking place in summer and birth in spring, when conditions are best for the young animal. Bison are "polygynous": dominant bulls maintain a small harem of females for mating. Male bison fight with each other over the right to mate with females. The male bison's greater size, larger horns, and thicker covering of hair on the head and front of the body benefit them in these struggles. In many cases the smaller, younger, or less confident male will back down and no actual fight will take place (Lott 2002).
  
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The '''American Bison''' (''Bison bison'') is a [[Bovinae|bovine]] [[mammal]] that is the largest terrestrial mammal in [[North America]], and one of the largest wild cattle in the world. With their huge bulk, wood bison &ndash; which are the largest [[subspecies]] in North America &ndash; are only surpassed in size by the massive [[Gaur|Asian gaur]] and wild [[water buffalo]], both of which are found mainly in [[India]]. The bison inhabited the [[Great Plains]] of the [[United States]] and [[Canada]] in massive herds, ranging from the [[Great Slave Lake]] in Canada's far north to [[Mexico]] in the south, and from eastern [[Oregon]] almost to the [[Atlantic Ocean]], taking its subspecies into account. Its two subspecies are the '''[[Plains Bison]]''' (''Bison bison bison''), distinguished by its smaller size and more rounded hump, and the '''[[Wood Bison]]''' (''Bison bison athabascae''), distinguished by its larger size and taller square hump.
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==The bison's place in nature==
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[[Image:Bison1-Custer State Park-SD.jpg|thumb|left|Juvenile American bison in late May in Custer State Park, South Dakota]]
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Bison are strictly herbivores. American bison, which live mainly in [[grassland]]s, are grazers, while European bison, living mainly in [[forest]]s, are browsers. American bison migrate over the grassland to reach better conditions. In the past, herds of millions traveled hundreds of miles seasonally to take advantage of different growing conditions. This gives the [[grass]] a chance to recover and regrow. The bison’s droppings and urine fertilize the soil, returning needed [[nitrogen]] (Lott 2002).
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[[Image:Wood-Buffalo-NP Waldbison 3 98-07-02.jpg|thumb|240px|Wood bison rolling in dust]]
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Bison are subject to various [[parasite]]s, among them the winter tick, ''Dermacentor albipictus,'' a single one of which can reduce a calf's growth by 1.5 lbs (.7 kg) due to the blood it takes. Bison roll in dirt in order to remove ticks and other parasites. This also helps them to keep cool in hot weather (Lott 2002).
  
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The Bison is also commonly known as the '''American Buffalo''', although it is only distantly related to either the [[Water Buffalo]] or [[African Buffalo]].
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One animal that has a mutually beneficial, [[symbiosis|symbiotic]] relationship with the American bison is the black-tailed prairie dog, ''Cynomys ludovicianus,'' a small [[rodent]]. Prairie dogs eat the same grass as the bison and live in large groups in underground tunnels called "towns." Bison are attracted to prairie dog towns by the large mounds of dirt removed from the tunnels, which the bison use to roll in. The bison benefit the prairie dogs by eating the tall grass and fertilizing the soil, both of which promote the growth of the more nutritious, short grass (Lott 2002).
  
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===Physiology===
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Because of their large size and strength, bison have few predators. In both [[North America]] and [[Europe]], [[wolf|wolves]], ''Canis lupus,'' are (or were) the most serious predator of bison (besides [[human]]s). The wolves' habit of hunting in groups enables them to prey on animals much larger than themselves. But most often it is the calves that fall victim to wolves. It has been suggested that the bison's tendency to run away from predators, rather than standing and fighting like many other bovines (including possibly the extinct bison species) has given them a better chance against wolves, and later human hunters. The brown [[bear]] (''Ursus arctos''), called the grizzly bear in North America, also eats bison, but is too slow to catch healthy, alert adult bison, so it mainly eats those that have died from cold or [[disease]] (Lott 2002).
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Bison have a shaggy, dark brown winter coat, and a lighter weight, lighter brown summer coat. Bison can reach up to 2 meters (6½&nbsp;[[foot (unit of length)|ft]]) tall, 3&nbsp;meters (10&nbsp;ft) long and weigh 450 to 900 kilograms (900 to 2,000&nbsp;[[pound (mass)|lb]]). The biggest specimens on record have weighed as much as 1140 kg (2,500 lb). The heads and forequarters are massive, and both sexes have short, curved horns, which they use in fighting for status within the herd and for defense. Bison mate in August and September; a single reddish-brown calf is born the following spring, and it nurses for a year. Bison are mature at three years of age, and have a life expectancy of 18 to 22 years in the wild and 35 to 40 years in captivity.
 
  
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One very rare condition results in the [[white buffalo]], where the calf turns entirely white. It is not to be confused with [[albinism|albino]], since white bison still possess [[pigment]] in the skin, hair, and eyes. White bison are considered sacred by many [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]].
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==American Bison==
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[[Image:Wood-Buffalo-NP Waldbison 98-07-02.jpg|thumb|right|Wood bison, a subspecies of the American bison]]
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The '''American Bison''' (''Bison bison'') is the largest terrestrial [[mammal]] in [[North America]].  
  
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Due to its size and the protection afforded by living in a herd, the bison has few enemies besides humans. [[Grizzly bear]]s and packs of [[wolf|wolves]] may attempt to attack a young calf or subadult, but only in the dead of winter when the herd cannot expend the energy to protect stragglers. A wolf pack can also take down an adult bison. The only threat, other than hunting by humans, that leads to the depletion of wild bison is interbreeding with domestic bovines. In fact, only a small number of bison herds found in North America today are pure breed bisons.
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The American bison's two subspecies are the '''Plains bison''' (''Bison bison bison''), distinguished by its smaller size and more rounded hump, and the '''wood bison''' (''Bison bison athabascae''), distinguished by its larger size and taller square hump. With their huge bulk, wood bison are only surpassed in size by the massive Asian gaur and wild water [[buffalo]], both of which are found mainly in [[India]].  
  
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[[Image:Bison1-Custer State Park-SD.jpg|thumb|right|Juvenile bison in late May in Custer State Park, South Dakota]]
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One very rare condition results in the white buffalo, where the calf turns entirely white. It is not to be confused with [[albinism|albino]], since white bison still possess [[pigment]] in the [[skin]], [[hair]], and [[eye]]s. White bison are considered sacred by many [[Native Americans]].
  
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===Reproductive habits and sexual behavior===
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==Wisent==
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Their mating habits are [[polygyny|polygynous]]: dominant bulls maintain a small harem of females for mating. Individual bulls "tend" females until allowed to mate, following them around and chasing away rival males.
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The '''wisent''' or '''European bison''' (''Bison bonasus'') is the heaviest land [[animal]] in [[Europe]]. A typical wisent is about 2.9&nbsp;m long and 1.8&ndash;2&nbsp;m tall, and weighs 300 to 1000&nbsp;kg. It is typically lankier and less massive than the related American bison (''B. bison''), and has shorter [[hair]] on the neck, head, and forequarters. Wisents are forest-dwelling. Wisents were first scientifically described by [[Carolus Linnaeus]] in 1758. Some later descriptions treat the wisent as conspecific with the American bison. It is not to be confused with the aurochs.  
  
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Juveniles are lighter in color than mature bison for the first three months of their life. The mating season is in middle to late summer, as late as September in northern ranges. Gestation is 285 days in length, and so the calves are typically born in the spring. <ref>The Gale Group, Inc. Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia artice on American bison. [http://www.answers.com/topic/american-bison Accessed Aug 13th 2006]</ref>
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[[Image:Wisent.jpg|thumb|left|European bison]]
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Three sub-species have been identified, two of which are extinct:
  
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===Native hunting===
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* Lowland wisent – ''Bison bonasus bonasus'' (Linneus, 1758)
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The American Bison is a relative newcomer to North America, having originated in Eurasia and migrated over the [[Bering Strait]]. About 10,000 years ago it replaced the Long-horned Bison (''[[Bison priscus]]''), a previous immigrant that was much larger. It is thought that the Long-horned Bison may have gone extinct because of a changing ecosystem and hunting pressure following the development of the [[Clovis point]] and related technology, and improved hunting skills. During this same period, other [[megafauna]] vanished and were replaced to some degree by immigrant Eurasian animals that were better adapted to predatory humans. The American bison, technically a dwarf form, was one of these animals. Another was the [[brown bear]], which replaced the [[short-faced bear]].
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* Hungarian (Carpathian) wisent – ''Bison bonasus hungarorum'' – extinct
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[[Image:Bison Bull in Nebraska.jpg|right|250px|thumb|A Bison on a [[Nebraska]] wildlife refuge]]
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* Caucasus wisent – ''Bison bonasus caucasicus'' – extinct
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Bison were a [[keystone species]], whose grazing pressure was a force that shaped the ecology of the [[Great Plains]] as strongly as periodic [[wildfire|prairie fire]]s and which were central to the lifestyle of [[Great Plains culture|Native Americans of the Great Plains]]. But there is now some controversy over their interaction. "[[Hernando de Soto (explorer)|Hernando De Soto]]'s expedition staggered through the Southeast for four years in the early 16th century and saw hordes of people but apparently did not see a single bison," Charles C. Mann writes in ''1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus''. Mann discusses the evidence that Native Americans not only created (by selective use of fire) the large grasslands that provided the bison's ideal habitat but also kept the bison population regulated. In this theory, it was only when the aboriginal population was decimated by wave after wave of epidemic (from diseases of Europeans) after the 16th century that the bison herds propagated wildly. In such a view, the seas of bison herds that stretched to the horizon were a symptom of an ecology out of balance, only rendered possible by decades of heavier-than-average rainfall. Bison were the most numerous single species of large wild mammal on Earth.
 
  
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What is not disputed is that before the introduction of [[horse]]s, bison were herded into large chutes made of rocks and willow branches and then stampeded over cliffs. These [[Buffalo jump|bison jump]]s are found in several places in the U.S. and Canada, such as [[Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump]]. Large groups of people would herd the bison for several miles, forcing them into a [[stampede]] that would ultimately drive many animals over a cliff. The large quantities of meat obtained in this way provided the hunters with surplus which they could trade with other cultures.
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Wisents have lived as long as 28 years in captivity, although in the wild their lifespan is shorter. Productive breeding years are between the ages of four and 20 years in females and only between the ages of 6 and 12 years in males. Wisents occupy home ranges of as much as 100 square kilometers and some herds are found to prefer meadows and open areas in forests.  
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A similar method of hunting was to drive the bison into natural corrals, such as [[Ruby site]].
 
  
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To get full use out of the bison, the Native Americans had a specific method of butchery, first identified at the Olsen-Chubbock archeological site in [[Colorado]]. The method involves skinning down the back in order to get at the tender meat just beneath the surface, the area known as the "hatched area." After the removal of the hatched area, the front legs are cut off as well as the shoulder blades. Doing so exposes the hump meat (in the [[Wood Bison]]), as well as the meat of the ribs and the Bison's inner organs. After everything was exposed, the spine was then severed and the pelvis and hind legs removed. Finally, the neck and head were removed as one. This allowed for the tough meat to be dried and made into [[pemmican]].
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Wisents can cross-breed with American bison. There are also bison–wisent–cattle hybrids.  
  
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Later when Plains Indians obtained horses, it was found that a good horseman could easily lance or shoot enough bison to keep his tribe and family fed, as long as a herd was nearby. The bison provided meat, leather, sinew for bows, grease, dried dung for fires, and even the hooves could be boiled for glue.  When times were bad, bison were consumed down to the last bit of [[marrow]].
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==Bison and humans==
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Bison were once very plentiful and an important prey for [[human]] hunters from [[prehistory|prehistoric]] times. However, by the nineteenth century, both the American bison and the European bison were nearly [[extinction|extinct]], largely as a result of human hunting.
  
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===Buffalo trails===
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In [[North America]], it is estimated that there were about 30 million bison in the 1500s, when they were hunted by [[Native Americans]]. The National Bison Association lists over 150 traditional Native American uses for bison products, besides food (NBA 2006). The introduction of the [[horse]] to North America in the 1500s made hunting bison easier. Bison became even more important to some Native American tribes living on the Great Plains.  
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The first thoroughfares of North America, save for the time-obliterated paths of mastodon or musk-ox and the routes of the [[Mound Builder]]s, were the traces made by bison and [[deer]] in seasonal migration and between feeding grounds and [[salt lick]]s. Many of these routes, hammered by countless hoofs instinctively following watersheds and the crests of ridges in avoidance of lower places' summer muck and winter snowdrifts, were followed by the Indians as courses to [[hunting ground]]s and as [[warriors' paths]]; they were invaluable to explorers and were adopted by [[pioneers]]. Bison traces were characteristically north and south; there were, however, several key east-west trails which were used later as railways. Some of these include the [[Cumberland Gap]]; along the [[New York]] watershed; from the [[Potomac River]] through the [[Allegheny River|Allegheny]] divide to the [[Ohio River]] headwaters; and through the [[Blue Ridge Mountains]] to upper [[Kentucky]]. In Senator [[Thomas Hart Benton (senator)|Thomas Hart Benton]]'s phrase saluting these sagacious pathmakers, the buffalo blazed the way for the railroads to the Pacific.
 
  
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Source: [[James Truslow Adams]], 1940. ''Dictionary of American History'' (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons)
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[[Image:Bison skull pile, ca1870.png|thumb|right|240px|Pile of bison skulls, 1870s]]
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As Americans of European descent moved into Native American lands, the bison were significantly reduced through overhunting. Some of the reasons for this were to free land for [[agriculture]] and [[cattle]] ranching, to sell the hides of the bison, to deprive hostile tribes of their main food supply, and for what was considered sport. The worst of the killing took place in the 1870s and the early 1880s. By 1890, there were fewer than 1,000 bison in North America (Nowak 1983).
  
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===Buffalo hunts===
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One major cause of the near extinction of the American bison was because of overhunting as a result of commercial hunters being paid by large [[railroad]] concerns to destroy entire herds, for several reasons:
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[[Image:Bison skull pile, ca1870.png|thumb|right|300px|Pile of bison skulls, 1870s]]
 
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Bison were hunted almost to [[extinction]] in the [[19th century]] and were reduced to a few hundred head by the mid-1880s, from which all the present day's managed herds are descended. One major cause was that hunters were paid by large [[railroad]] concerns to destroy entire herds, for several reasons:
 
 
*The herds formed the basis of the economies of local Plains tribes of Native Americans; without bison, the tribes would leave.
 
*The herds formed the basis of the economies of local Plains tribes of Native Americans; without bison, the tribes would leave.
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*Herds of these large animals on tracks could damage locomotives when the trains failed to stop in time.
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*Herds of these large animals on tracks could damage locomotives when the trains failed to stop them in time.
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*Herds often took shelter in the artificial cuts formed by the grade of the track winding though hills and mountains in harsh winter conditions. As a result, the herds could delay a train for days.
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*Herds often took shelter in the artificial cuts formed by the grade of the track winding though hills and mountains in harsh winter conditions. As a result, the herds could delay a train for days.
  
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Bison skins were used for industrial machine belts, clothing such as robes, and rugs. There was a huge export trade to Europe of bison hides. Old West bison hunting was very often a big commercial enterprise, involving organized teams of one or two professional hunters, backed by a team of skinners, gun cleaners, [[cartridge (firearms)|cartridge]] reloaders, cooks, wranglers, blacksmiths, security guards, teamsters, and numerous horses and wagons. Men were even employed to recover and re-cast lead bullets taken from the carcasses. Many of these professional hunters such as [[Buffalo Bill Cody]] killed over a hundred animals at a single stand and many thousands in their career. One professional hunter killed over 20,000 by his own count. A good hide could bring $3.00 in [[Dodge City, Kansas]], and a very good one (the heavy winter coat) could sell for $50.00 in an era when a laborer would be lucky to make a dollar a day.
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[[Image:American Bison with friends.jpg|right|250px|thumb|left|Group of bison at a watering hole]]
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Bison skins were used for industrial machine belts, clothing such as robes, and rugs. There was a huge export trade to Europe of bison hides. Old West bison hunting was very often a big commercial enterprise, involving organized teams of one or two professional hunters, backed by a team of skinners, gun cleaners, cartridge reloaders, cooks, wranglers, blacksmiths, security guards, teamsters, and numerous horses and wagons. Men were even employed to recover and recast lead bullets taken from the carcasses. Many of these professional hunters, such as [[Buffalo Bill Cody]] (who later advocated for protection of the bison) killed over a hundred animals at a single stand and many thousands in their career. A good hide could bring $3.00 in Dodge City, [[Kansas]], and a very good one (the heavy winter coat) could sell for $50.00 in an era when a laborer would be lucky to make a dollar a day.
  
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The [[hunting|hunter]] would customarily locate the herd in the early morning, and station himself about 100 meters from it, shooting the animals broadside through the lungs. Head shots were not preferred as the soft lead bullets would often flatten and fail to penetrate the skull, especially if mud was matted on the head of the animal. The bison would drop until either the herd sensed danger and stampeded or perhaps a wounded animal attacked another, causing the herd to disperse. If done properly a large number of bison would be felled at one time. Following up were the skinners, who would drive a spike through the nose of each dead animal with a [[sledgehammer]], hook up a horse team, and pull the hide from the carcass.  The hides were dressed, prepared, and stacked on the wagons by other members of the organization.
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The American bison has made a comeback with about 20,000 living in the wild in parks and preserves, including [[Yellowstone National Park]], and about 500,000 living on ranches and tribal lands where they are managed, although not domesticated. Bison ranching continues to expand yearly, with bison raised for meat and hides. Bison meat has grown in popularity, partly because of its lower [[fat]] and higher [[iron]] and [[vitamin]] B12 content compared to beef (NBA 2006). Because it is lower in both fat and [[cholesterol]] than beef, bison and domestic cattle have been crossbred, creating beefalo.
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[[Image:Muybridge_Buffalo_galloping.gif|thumb|left|19th-century bison galloping - set to motion using photos by [[Eadweard Muybridge]]]]
 
  
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For a decade from 1873 on there were several hundred, perhaps over a thousand, such commercial hide hunting outfits harvesting bison at any one time, vastly exceeding the take by American Indians or individual meat hunters. The commercial take arguably was anywhere from 2000 to 100,000 animals per day depending on the season, though there are no statistics available. It was said that the [[Sharps Rifle|Big .50s]] were fired so much that hunters needed at least two rifles to let the barrels cool off; The Fireside Book of Guns reports they were sometimes quenched in the winter snow. Dodge City saw railroad cars sent East filled with stacked hides.
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The wood bison, a subspecies of the American bison, had been reduced to about 250 animals by 1900, but has now recovered to about 9,000, living mainly in northwest [[Canada]].
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[[Image:Bison crossing road in Yellowstone.jpg|thumb|right|240px|Bison with calf crossing road in Yellowstone Park]]
  
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As the great herds began to wane, proposals to protect the bison were discussed. Cody, among others, spoke in favor of protecting the bison because he saw that the pressure on the [[species]] was too great. But these were discouraged since it was recognized that the Plains Indians, often at war with the United States, depended on bison for their way of life. General [[Phillip Sheridan]] spoke to the [[Texas Legislature]] against a proposal to outlaw commercial bison hunting for that reason, and [[Ulysses S. Grant|President Grant]] also "[[pocket veto]]ed" a similar Federal bill to protect the dwindling bison herds. By 1884, the American Bison was close to extinction.
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The European bison was also hunted almost to extinction, with wisents limited to fewer than 50 individuals by 1927, when they were only found in zoos. In the [[Middle Ages]], they were commonly killed to produce hides and drinking horns. In western Europe, wisent were extinct by the eleventh century, except in the Ardennes, where they lasted into the fourteenth century. The last wisent in Transylvania died in 1790. In the east, wisents were legally the property of the [[Poland|Polish]] [[king]]s, [[Lithuania]]n [[prince]]s, and [[Russia]]n [[tsar]]s. King Sigismund the Old of Poland instituted the [[death penalty]] for poaching a wisent in the mid-1500s. Despite these and other measures, the wisent population continued to decline over the following four centuries. The last wild wisent in Poland was killed in 1919, and the last wild wisent in the world was killed by poachers in 1927 in the Western Caucasus. By that year fewer than 50 remained, all in zoos.  
  
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===Comeback===
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[[Image:Muybridge_Buffalo_galloping.gif|thumb|400px|left|Nineteenth-century bison galloping – set to motion using photos by Eadweard Muybridge]]
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[[Image:American Bison with friends.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Group of Bison at a watering hole]]
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Wisents were reintroduced successfully into the wild beginning in 1951. They are found free-ranging in forest preserves, like Western Caucasus in Russia and Białowieża Forest in Poland and [[Belarus]]. Free-ranging herds are found in Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, [[Ukraine]], [[Romania]], Russia, and [[Kyrgyzstan]]. Zoos in 30 countries also have quite a few animals. There were 3,000 individuals as of 2000, all descended from only 12 individuals. Because of their limited genetic pool, they are considered highly vulnerable to [[disease]]s like foot-and-mouth disease.
−
The Famous Buffalo Herd of [[James "Scotty" Philip]] in South Dakota was the beginning of the reintroduction of Bison to North America. In 1899, he purchased a small herd (5 of them, including the female) from Dug Carlin, Pete Dupree's brother-in-law, whose son Fred had roped 5 calves in the Last Big Buffalo Hunt on the [[Grand River (South Dakota)|Grand River]] in 1881 and taken them back home to the ranch on the [[Cheyenne River]]. At the time of purchase there were approximately 7 pure buffalo and it was believed to be one of the largest known herds left in North America. Scotty's goal was to preserve the animal from extinction. At the time of his death in 1911 at 53, Scotty had grown the herd to an estimated 1,000 to 1,200 head of Bison.
 
  
−
A variety of privately owned herds have also been established, starting from this population. The current American Bison population has been growing rapidly and is estimated at 350,000, but this is compared to an estimated 60&ndash;100 million in the mid-19th century. Current herds, however, are all partly crossbred with cattle (see "[[beefalo]]"); today there are only four genetically unmixed herds and only one that is also free of [[brucellosis]]: it roams [[Wind Cave National Park]]. A founder population from the Wind Cave herd was recently established in [[Montana]] by the [[World Wildlife Fund]].  
+
Recent genetic studies of privately owned herds of bison show that many of them include animals with genes from domestic [[cattle]]; there are as few as 12,000 to 15,000 pure bison in the world. The numbers are uncertain because the tests so far used [[mitochondrial DNA]] analysis, and thus would miss cattle genes inherited in the male line; most of the hybrids look exactly like purebred bison.  
  
−
The only continuously wild bison herd in the United States resides within [[Yellowstone National Park]]. Numbering between 3000 and 3500, this herd is descended from a remnant population of 23 individual mountain bison that survived the mass slaughter of the 1800s by hiding out in the Pelican Valley of Yellowstone Park. In 1902, a captive herd of 21 plains bison were introduced to the Lamar Valley and managed as livestock until the 1960s, when a policy of natural regulation was adopted by the park.  
+
For Americans, the bison is an important part of history, a symbol of national identity, and a favorite subject of artists. Many American towns, sports teams, and other organizations use the bison as a symbol, often under the name ''buffalo.'' For many Native Americans, the bison holds an even greater importance. Fred DuBray of the Cheyenne River Sioux said: “We recognize the bison is a symbol of our strength and unity, and that as we bring our herds back to health, we will also bring our people back to health" (IBC 2006).
  
−
The end of the ranching era and the onset of the natural regulation era set into motion a chain of events that have led to the bison of Yellowstone Park migrating to lower elevations outside the park in search of winter forage. The presence of wild bison in Montana is perceived as a threat to many cattle ranchers, who fear that the small percentage of bison that carry brucellosis will infect livestock and cause cows to abort their first calves. However, there has never been a documented case of brucellosis being transmitted to cattle from wild bison. The management controversy that began in the early 1980s continues to this day, with advocacy groups arguing that the Yellowstone herd should be protected as a distinct population segment under the [[Endangered Species Act]].
+
==References==
−
 
+
[[Image:Soviet Union-1969-stamp-Wisent-10K.jpg|right|thumb|350px|European bison on a 1969 [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] stamp]]  
−
====Bison hunting today====
+
* [http://www.intertribalbison.org Intertribal Bison Cooperative] (IBC). 2006. Website. Retrieved April 20, 2007.
−
[[Image:BuffaloGrazing.jpg|thumb|right|Bison grazing on a wildlife ranch in Texas]]
+
* Lott, D. F. 2002. ''American Bison.'' Berkeley: University of California Press.  
−
Hunting of wild bison is legal in some states and provinces where public herds require culling to maintain a target population. In [[Alberta]], where one of only two continuously wild herds of bison exist in North America at [[Wood Buffalo National Park]], bison are hunted to protect disease free herds of public (reintroduced) and private herds of bison.
+
* [http://www.bisoncentral.com National Bison Association] (NBA). 2006. Website. Retrieved April 20, 2007.
−
In Montana a public hunt was re-established in 2005, with 50 permits being issued. The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission increased the number of tags to 140 for the 2006/2007 season. Advocacy groups claim that it is premature to re-establish the hunt, given the bison's lack of habitat and wildlife status in Montana.
+
* Nowak, R. M., and J. L. Paradiso. 1983. ''Walker's Mammals of the World.'' Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
−
 
+
* Voelker, W. 1986. ''The Natural History of Living Mammals.'' Medford, NJ: Plexus Publishing.
−
One of the bison's few natural predators is the wolf. Wolves will usually prey on the females and young and rarely will go for healthy bulls. Bears will also prey on the young of bison.
 
−
 
 
−
===American Bison today===
 
−
[[Image:Bison.jpg|thumb|right|200px|"Big Medicine", a partial albino bison which lived at the National Bison Range, Montana from 1933-1959]]
 
−
[[Image:Bull Buffalo - Project Gutenberg eText 17748.jpg|thumb|Bull bison, illustrated in ''The Extermination of the American Bison'']]
 
−
Bison are now raised for meat and hides. Over 250,000 of the 350,000 remaining bison are being raised for human consumption. Bison meat is lower in [[fat]] and [[cholesterol]] than beef which has led to the development of [[beefalo]], a fertile cross-breed of bison and domestic cattle. In 2005, about 35,000 bison were processed for meat in the U.S., with the National Bison Association and [[United States Department of Agriculture|USDA]] providing a "Certified American Buffalo" program with birth-to-consumer tracking of bison via [[RFID]] ear tags.  
 
−
 
 
−
Recent genetic studies of privately owned herds of bison show that many of them include animals with genes from domestic cattle; there are as few as 12,000 to 15,000 pure bison in the world. The numbers are uncertain because the tests so far used [[mitochondrial DNA]] analysis, and thus would miss cattle genes inherited in the male line; most of the hybrids look exactly like purebred bison.  
 
−
 
 
−
[[Image:United States 2005 bison nickel, reverse.jpg|150px|left|Westward Journey Nickel #3, Reverse]]
 
−
 
 
−
The American Bison was depicted on the reverse side of the U.S. "[[buffalo nickel]]" from 1913 to 1938. In 2005, the [[United States Mint]] coined a nickel with a new depiction of the bison as part of its "Westward Journey" series; the [[Kansas]] and [[North Dakota]] quarters have a depiction of the bison on its reverse as part of its "[[50 State Quarters|50 State Quarter]]" series. The Kansas State Quarter only has the bison and does not feature any writing. The North Dakota State Quarter has two bison.
 
−
 
 
−
 
 
−
The bison is a symbol of [[Manitoba]], the [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]], [[Bucknell University]], the [[University of Colorado at Boulder|University of Colorado]], [[Lipscomb University]], [[Harding University]], [[Marshall University]], the [[Independence Party of Minnesota]], and [[North Dakota State University]]. It is also commonly used as a symbol of the city of [[Buffalo, New York]] and its professional sports teams, the [[Buffalo Bills]] and [[Buffalo Sabres]], although the city was not named for the animal. The bison is also the state mammal of [[Wyoming]]. It is the state animal of [[Kansas]] ([http://www.governor.ks.gov/Facts/quickfacts.htm see Governor of Kansas Quick Facts]).
 
−
 
 
−
[[Custer State Park]] in [[South Dakota]] is home to 1,500 bison, one of the largest publicly held herds in the world.
 
−
 
 
−
A proposal known as [[Buffalo Commons]] has been suggested by a handful of academics and policymakers to restore large parts of the drier portion of the [[Great Plains]] to native [[prairie]] grazed by bison. Proponents argue that current agricultural use of the shortgrass prairie is not [[sustainability|sustainable]], pointing to periodic disasters such as the [[Dust Bowl]] and continuing significant population loss over the last 60 years.  However, this plan is opposed by most who live in the sparsely-populated area, though it might benefit participating states economically.
 
−
 
 
−
==Dangers==
 
−
[[Image:Yellowstonebuffalo.JPG|thumb|right|220px|This grazing bison in [[Yellowstone National Park]] is blocking a path.]]
 
−
Bison are among the most dangerous animals encountered by visitors to the various [[U.S. National Parks]], especially Yellowstone National Park. Although they are not carnivorous, they will attack humans if provoked. They appear slow because of their lethargic movements, but they can easily outrun humans&mdash;they have been observed running as fast as 35 miles per hour. Between 1978 and 1992, over four times as many people in Yellowstone National Park were killed or injured by bison as by [[bear]]s (12 by bears, 56 by bison). Bison also have the unexpected ability, given the animal's size and body structure, to leap over a standard barbed-wire fence.{{clear}}
 
−
 
 
−
==Native American names for bison==
 
−
Though commonly called buffalo or bison in [[English language|English]], Native American languages also have many names for the animal. They include:
 
  
−
*Tatanka ([[Lakota language|Lakota]])
 
−
*Yąnąsh ([[Choctaw language|Choctaw]])
 
−
 
−
==Wisent==
 
−
 
−
The '''Wisent''' or '''European Bison''' (''Bison bonasus'') ([[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]: {{IPA|[ˈviːzənt]}}) is a bison [[species]] and the heaviest [[land animal]] in [[Europe]]. A typical wisent is about 2.9&nbsp;m long and 1.8&ndash;2&nbsp;m tall, and weighs 300 to 1000&nbsp;kg. It is typically lankier and less massive than the related [[American bison]] (''B. bison''), and has shorter hair on the neck, head, and forequarters. Wisents are forest-dwelling. They have few predators with only scattered reports from the 1800s of [[wolf]] and [[bear]] predation. Wisents were first scientifically described by [[Carolus Linnaeus]] in 1758. Some later descriptions treat the wisent as conspecific with the [[American bison]].  It is not to be confused with the ''[[aurochs]]''.
 
−
 
−
The species is now [[Endangered species|endangered]]. In the past they were commonly killed to produce [[hides]] and [[drinking horn]]s especially in the middle ages.
 
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−
=== Near-extinction ===
 
−
In [[Western Europe]], wisent were extinct by the [[11th century]] except in the [[Ardennes]], where they lasted into the [[14th century]]. The last wisent in [[Transylvania]] died in [[1790]].
 
 
   
 
   
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[[Image:Wisent.jpg|thumb|250px|left|A wisent (''Żubr'') in [[Białowieża Forest]]]]
 
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In the east, wisent were legally the property of the [[List of Polish monarchs|Polish kings]], [[List of Lithuanian rulers|Lithuanian princes]] and [[List of Russian rulers|Russian Tsars]]. King [[Sigismund I of Poland|Sigismund the Old of Poland]] instituted the [[death penalty]] for [[poaching]] a wisent in the mid-[[1500s]]. Despite these and other measures, the wisent population continued to decline over the following four centuries. The last wild wisent in Poland was killed in [[1919]] and the last wild wisent in the world was killed by poachers [[1927]] in the [[Western Caucasus]]. By that year fewer than 50 remained, all in [[zoo]]s.
 
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Wisents were [[Reintroduction|re-introduced]] successfully into the wild beginning in [[1951]]. They are found living free-ranging in forest preserves like [[Western Caucasus]] in [[Russia]] and [[Białowieża Forest]] in [[Poland]] and [[Belarus]]. Free-ranging herds are found in [[Poland]], [[Lithuania]], [[Belarus]], [[Ukraine]], [[Romania]], [[Russia]] and [[Kyrgyzstan]]. Zoos in 30 countries also have quite a few animals. There were 3000 individuals [[as of 2000]], all descended from only 12 individuals. Because of their limited genetic pool, they are considered highly vulnerable to diseases like [[foot and mouth disease]].
 
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−
Wisents are now found in the 30km [[Zone of alienation|exclusion zone]] around [[Chernobyl]].  As with other animals, it seems that the benefits of removing people from the zone have far outweighed any harm from radiation. <ref> [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4923342.stm ''Wildlife defies Chernobyl radiation''], by Stefen Mulvey, BBC News </ref>
 
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In [[1996]] the [[IUCN]] classified the wisent as endangered.
 
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=== More details ===
 
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[[Image:BisonBonasus.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Wisents in a zoo]]
 
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Wisent have lived as long as 28 years in captivity although in the wild their lifespan is shorter. Productive breeding years are between 4 and 20 years old in females and only between 6 and 12 years old in males. Wisent occupy home ranges of as much as 100 square kilometers and some herds are found to prefer meadows and open areas in forests.
 
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Wisent can cross-breed with [[American Bison]]. The products of a [[Germany|German]] interbreeding program were destroyed after [[World War II]]. This program was related to the impulse which created the [[Heck cattle]]. The cross-bred individuals created at other zoos were eliminated from breed books by the [[1950s]]. A Russian [[back-breeding]] program resulted in a wild herd of hybrid animals which presently lives in the [[Caucasian Biosphere Reserve]] (550 individuals in 1999).
 
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[[Image:Baby-wisent.jpg|thumb|right|Baby wisent]]
 
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There are also bison-wisent-cattle hybrids. In [[1847]] a herd of wisent-cattle hybrids named [[żubroń]] was created by [[Leopold Walicki]]. The animal was to become a durable and cheap alternative to cattle. The experiment was continued by researchers from the [[Polish Academy of Sciences]] until the late [[1980s]]. Although the program resulted in a quite successful animal that was both hardy and could be bred in marginal grazing lands, it was eventually discontinued. Currently the only surviving żubroń herd consists of just a few animals in [[Białowieża Forest]], Poland.
 
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Three sub-species have been identified:
 
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* [[Lowland wisent]] - ''Bison bonasus bonasus'' (Linneus, 1758) – (from Białowieża Forest)
 
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* [[Carpathian wisent|Hungarian (Carpathian) wisent]] - ''Bison bonasus hungarorum'' - extinct
 
−
* [[Caucasus wisent]] - ''Bison bonasus caucasicus'' - extinct, although one individual, a bull named Kaukasus was one of the 12 founders of the modern herds
 
−
 
−
The modern herds are managed as two separate lines - one consisting of only ''Bison bonasus bonasus'' (all descended from only 7 animals) and one consisting of all 12 ancestors including the one ''Bison bonasus caucasicus'' bull. Only a limited amount of [[inbreeding depression]] from the [[population bottleneck]] has been found, having a small effect on skeletal growth in cows and a small rise in calf mortality. Genetic variability continues to shrink. From 5 initial bulls, all current wisent bulls have one of only two remaining [[Y chromosome]]s.
 
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−
=== Trivia ===
 
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[[Image:Soviet Union-1969-stamp-Wisent-10K.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Two wisents on a 1969 [[Soviet Union]] stamp]]
 
−
*The wisent (or ''Zubr'' in [[Slavic languages]]) is the largest wild animal in [[Belarus]], and it is a national symbol of Belarus today.
 
−
*A wisent head (sometimes identified with an [[aurochs]]) featured on [[Moldavia]]'s [[Flag and coat of arms of Moldavia|state symbols]], a depiction connected with the [[Etymology of Moldova|legend of the country's foundation]].
 
−
*''[[Żubrówka]]'' Polish [[vodka]] is indirectly named after this animal (''żubr'' in Polish). Each bottle contains a stalk of "[[bison grass]]", which produces a slighly yellowish colour and a distinctive flavour.
 
−
 
−
==See also==
 
−
{{commons|Category:Bison bonasus}}
 
−
* [[Żubroń]]
 
−
*[[List of extinct animals of Europe]]
 
−
*[[Carpathian Wisent]]
 
−
*[[Caucasian Wisent]]
 
−
 
−
==References==
 
−
 
−
<references/>
 
−
*{{ITIS|ID=180706|taxon=Bison bison|year=2006|date=18 March}}
 
−
*Fagan, Brian.  ''Ancient North America''. 2005.  Thames and Hudson
 
−
*Koller, Larry.  ''Fireside Book of Guns''. 1959  Simon and Schuster
 
−
 
−
 
−
* Lott, D.F. 2002. ''American Bison''. Berkeley, California, USA : University of California Press
 
−
* Nowak, R.M. and Paradiso, J.L. 1983. ''Walker's Mammals of the World''. Baltimore, Maryland, USA : The Johns Hopkins University Press
 
−
* Voelker, W. 1986. ''The Natural History of Living Mammals''. Medford, New Jersey, USA : Plexus Publishing, Inc.
 
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{{credit3|Bison|61517181|Wisent|84802321|American_Bison|85622441}}
 
{{credit3|Bison|61517181|Wisent|84802321|American_Bison|85622441}}
 
[[Category:Life sciences]]
 
[[Category:Life sciences]]
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[[Category:Animals]]
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[[Category:Mammals]][[Category:Ungulates]]

Latest revision as of 02:50, 8 March 2023

Bison
American bison
American bison
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Subfamily:: Bovinae
Genus: Bison
Linnaeus, 1758
Species

B. bison
B. bonasus
B. antiquus extinct
B. latifrons extinct
B. occidentalis extinct
B. priscus extinct

Bison are members of the genus Bison of the Bovid family of the even-toed ungulates, or hoofed mammals. There are two extant (living) species of bison:

  • The American bison (Bison bison), the most famous bison, formerly one of the most common large animals in North America
  • The European bison or wisent (Bison bonasus)

There are two extant subspecies of the American bison, the Plains bison (Bison bison bison) and the wood bison (Bison bison athabascae). There were also several other species and subspecies of bison that became extinct within the last 10,000 years.

Bison were once very numerous in North America and Europe, but overhunting resulted in their near extinction. The American bison was reduced from herds of about 30 million in the 1500s to about 1,000 individuals, and the wisent was reduced to fewer than 50 animals, all in zoos. Today, both species have been managed to significant recoveries.

Bison are often called buffalo in North America, but this is technically incorrect since true buffalo are native only to Asia (water buffalo) and Africa (African buffalo). Bison are very closely related to true buffalo, as well as cattle, yaks, and other members of the subfamily Bovinae, or bovines.

Bison physiology and behavior

Bison are among the largest hoofed mammals, standing 1.5 to 2 meters (5 to 6.5 feet) at the shoulder and weighing 350 to 1000 kg (800 to 2,200 lbs). Males are on average larger than females. The head and forequarters of bison are especially massive with a large hump on the shoulders. Both sexes have horns with the male's being somewhat larger (Nowak 1983).

Bison mature in about two years and have an average life span of about twenty years. A female bison can have a calf every year, with mating taking place in summer and birth in spring, when conditions are best for the young animal. Bison are "polygynous": dominant bulls maintain a small harem of females for mating. Male bison fight with each other over the right to mate with females. The male bison's greater size, larger horns, and thicker covering of hair on the head and front of the body benefit them in these struggles. In many cases the smaller, younger, or less confident male will back down and no actual fight will take place (Lott 2002).

The bison's place in nature

Juvenile American bison in late May in Custer State Park, South Dakota

Bison are strictly herbivores. American bison, which live mainly in grasslands, are grazers, while European bison, living mainly in forests, are browsers. American bison migrate over the grassland to reach better conditions. In the past, herds of millions traveled hundreds of miles seasonally to take advantage of different growing conditions. This gives the grass a chance to recover and regrow. The bison’s droppings and urine fertilize the soil, returning needed nitrogen (Lott 2002).

Wood bison rolling in dust

Bison are subject to various parasites, among them the winter tick, Dermacentor albipictus, a single one of which can reduce a calf's growth by 1.5 lbs (.7 kg) due to the blood it takes. Bison roll in dirt in order to remove ticks and other parasites. This also helps them to keep cool in hot weather (Lott 2002).

One animal that has a mutually beneficial, symbiotic relationship with the American bison is the black-tailed prairie dog, Cynomys ludovicianus, a small rodent. Prairie dogs eat the same grass as the bison and live in large groups in underground tunnels called "towns." Bison are attracted to prairie dog towns by the large mounds of dirt removed from the tunnels, which the bison use to roll in. The bison benefit the prairie dogs by eating the tall grass and fertilizing the soil, both of which promote the growth of the more nutritious, short grass (Lott 2002).

Because of their large size and strength, bison have few predators. In both North America and Europe, wolves, Canis lupus, are (or were) the most serious predator of bison (besides humans). The wolves' habit of hunting in groups enables them to prey on animals much larger than themselves. But most often it is the calves that fall victim to wolves. It has been suggested that the bison's tendency to run away from predators, rather than standing and fighting like many other bovines (including possibly the extinct bison species) has given them a better chance against wolves, and later human hunters. The brown bear (Ursus arctos), called the grizzly bear in North America, also eats bison, but is too slow to catch healthy, alert adult bison, so it mainly eats those that have died from cold or disease (Lott 2002).

American Bison

Wood bison, a subspecies of the American bison

The American Bison (Bison bison) is the largest terrestrial mammal in North America.

The American bison's two subspecies are the Plains bison (Bison bison bison), distinguished by its smaller size and more rounded hump, and the wood bison (Bison bison athabascae), distinguished by its larger size and taller square hump. With their huge bulk, wood bison are only surpassed in size by the massive Asian gaur and wild water buffalo, both of which are found mainly in India.

One very rare condition results in the white buffalo, where the calf turns entirely white. It is not to be confused with albino, since white bison still possess pigment in the skin, hair, and eyes. White bison are considered sacred by many Native Americans.

Wisent

The wisent or European bison (Bison bonasus) is the heaviest land animal in Europe. A typical wisent is about 2.9 m long and 1.8–2 m tall, and weighs 300 to 1000 kg. It is typically lankier and less massive than the related American bison (B. bison), and has shorter hair on the neck, head, and forequarters. Wisents are forest-dwelling. Wisents were first scientifically described by Carolus Linnaeus in 1758. Some later descriptions treat the wisent as conspecific with the American bison. It is not to be confused with the aurochs.

European bison

Three sub-species have been identified, two of which are extinct:

  • Lowland wisent – Bison bonasus bonasus (Linneus, 1758)
  • Hungarian (Carpathian) wisent – Bison bonasus hungarorum – extinct
  • Caucasus wisent – Bison bonasus caucasicus – extinct

Wisents have lived as long as 28 years in captivity, although in the wild their lifespan is shorter. Productive breeding years are between the ages of four and 20 years in females and only between the ages of 6 and 12 years in males. Wisents occupy home ranges of as much as 100 square kilometers and some herds are found to prefer meadows and open areas in forests.

Wisents can cross-breed with American bison. There are also bison–wisent–cattle hybrids.

Bison and humans

Bison were once very plentiful and an important prey for human hunters from prehistoric times. However, by the nineteenth century, both the American bison and the European bison were nearly extinct, largely as a result of human hunting.

In North America, it is estimated that there were about 30 million bison in the 1500s, when they were hunted by Native Americans. The National Bison Association lists over 150 traditional Native American uses for bison products, besides food (NBA 2006). The introduction of the horse to North America in the 1500s made hunting bison easier. Bison became even more important to some Native American tribes living on the Great Plains.

Pile of bison skulls, 1870s

As Americans of European descent moved into Native American lands, the bison were significantly reduced through overhunting. Some of the reasons for this were to free land for agriculture and cattle ranching, to sell the hides of the bison, to deprive hostile tribes of their main food supply, and for what was considered sport. The worst of the killing took place in the 1870s and the early 1880s. By 1890, there were fewer than 1,000 bison in North America (Nowak 1983).

One major cause of the near extinction of the American bison was because of overhunting as a result of commercial hunters being paid by large railroad concerns to destroy entire herds, for several reasons:

  • The herds formed the basis of the economies of local Plains tribes of Native Americans; without bison, the tribes would leave.
  • Herds of these large animals on tracks could damage locomotives when the trains failed to stop them in time.
  • Herds often took shelter in the artificial cuts formed by the grade of the track winding though hills and mountains in harsh winter conditions. As a result, the herds could delay a train for days.
Group of bison at a watering hole

Bison skins were used for industrial machine belts, clothing such as robes, and rugs. There was a huge export trade to Europe of bison hides. Old West bison hunting was very often a big commercial enterprise, involving organized teams of one or two professional hunters, backed by a team of skinners, gun cleaners, cartridge reloaders, cooks, wranglers, blacksmiths, security guards, teamsters, and numerous horses and wagons. Men were even employed to recover and recast lead bullets taken from the carcasses. Many of these professional hunters, such as Buffalo Bill Cody (who later advocated for protection of the bison) killed over a hundred animals at a single stand and many thousands in their career. A good hide could bring $3.00 in Dodge City, Kansas, and a very good one (the heavy winter coat) could sell for $50.00 in an era when a laborer would be lucky to make a dollar a day.

The American bison has made a comeback with about 20,000 living in the wild in parks and preserves, including Yellowstone National Park, and about 500,000 living on ranches and tribal lands where they are managed, although not domesticated. Bison ranching continues to expand yearly, with bison raised for meat and hides. Bison meat has grown in popularity, partly because of its lower fat and higher iron and vitamin B12 content compared to beef (NBA 2006). Because it is lower in both fat and cholesterol than beef, bison and domestic cattle have been crossbred, creating beefalo.

The wood bison, a subspecies of the American bison, had been reduced to about 250 animals by 1900, but has now recovered to about 9,000, living mainly in northwest Canada.

Bison with calf crossing road in Yellowstone Park

The European bison was also hunted almost to extinction, with wisents limited to fewer than 50 individuals by 1927, when they were only found in zoos. In the Middle Ages, they were commonly killed to produce hides and drinking horns. In western Europe, wisent were extinct by the eleventh century, except in the Ardennes, where they lasted into the fourteenth century. The last wisent in Transylvania died in 1790. In the east, wisents were legally the property of the Polish kings, Lithuanian princes, and Russian tsars. King Sigismund the Old of Poland instituted the death penalty for poaching a wisent in the mid-1500s. Despite these and other measures, the wisent population continued to decline over the following four centuries. The last wild wisent in Poland was killed in 1919, and the last wild wisent in the world was killed by poachers in 1927 in the Western Caucasus. By that year fewer than 50 remained, all in zoos.

Nineteenth-century bison galloping – set to motion using photos by Eadweard Muybridge

Wisents were reintroduced successfully into the wild beginning in 1951. They are found free-ranging in forest preserves, like Western Caucasus in Russia and Białowieża Forest in Poland and Belarus. Free-ranging herds are found in Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Romania, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan. Zoos in 30 countries also have quite a few animals. There were 3,000 individuals as of 2000, all descended from only 12 individuals. Because of their limited genetic pool, they are considered highly vulnerable to diseases like foot-and-mouth disease.

Recent genetic studies of privately owned herds of bison show that many of them include animals with genes from domestic cattle; there are as few as 12,000 to 15,000 pure bison in the world. The numbers are uncertain because the tests so far used mitochondrial DNA analysis, and thus would miss cattle genes inherited in the male line; most of the hybrids look exactly like purebred bison.

For Americans, the bison is an important part of history, a symbol of national identity, and a favorite subject of artists. Many American towns, sports teams, and other organizations use the bison as a symbol, often under the name buffalo. For many Native Americans, the bison holds an even greater importance. Fred DuBray of the Cheyenne River Sioux said: “We recognize the bison is a symbol of our strength and unity, and that as we bring our herds back to health, we will also bring our people back to health" (IBC 2006).

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

European bison on a 1969 Soviet stamp
  • Intertribal Bison Cooperative (IBC). 2006. Website. Retrieved April 20, 2007.
  • Lott, D. F. 2002. American Bison. Berkeley: University of California Press.
  • National Bison Association (NBA). 2006. Website. Retrieved April 20, 2007.
  • Nowak, R. M., and J. L. Paradiso. 1983. Walker's Mammals of the World. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
  • Voelker, W. 1986. The Natural History of Living Mammals. Medford, NJ: Plexus Publishing.


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