America’s largest land mammal has its own holiday! National Bison Day is celebrated every year on the first Saturday in November. Conservationists started the movement in 2012.
Here are nine interesting facts about bison.
1. Before Europeans came to America, more than 30 million bison roamed North America. Herds could stretch 50 miles long and 20 miles wide. They lived across the country, from California to New England, but they preferred the Midwest grasslands.
2. In 2016, President Barack Obama signed the National Bison Legacy Act, making the American bison the national mammal of the United States.
3. In the 19th century, bison were killed for their hides, for sport and to eliminate an essential Native American food source. At one point, fewer than 1,000 remained.
4. Over the years, the Wildlife Conservation Society, different Native American tribes and others worked to restore this national treasure. Today, America has almost half a million bison, with 30,000 living in the wild.
5. Bison can run up to 35 miles per hour.
6. Males can weigh up to 2,000 pounds.
7. Herds are largely led by females.
8. Native Americans relied on bison for food, tools and other materials.
9. A bison’s back lump is muscle that helps it move deep snow with its head to find grass in the winter.
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