Canyon Country Animals
Mammals: Bison (Buffalo)
Scientific Name: Bison
A large species of wild cattle with heavy head, short, curved horns, short neck, and high, humped shoulders. The forequarters are covered with a dense, wooly fur. Buffalo may stand six or more feet in height at the shoulders and weigh up to 2500 pounds. They are a plains-grassland animal which prefers open country. They are the largest herbivore in America. Their calves, usually singles, are born mostly in late spring and early summer, but can be born at other times. The life span of a bison may be up to 40 years. The American bison was reduced from 60 million to less than 1,000 individuals in 1900. Today there are more than 20,000.
A big attraction in many parks in the west are the herds of North American bison. Remember ... these animals are dangerous. Give them plenty of space. Many visitors to parks where bison are present have been gored. Buffalo can weigh as much as 2,000 pounds and can sprint at 30 miles per hour; three times faster than you can run. These animals may appear tame, but are wild, unpredictable, and dangerous. Don not approach buffalo.
Bison (Bison bison), often referred to as buffalo, once numbered in the millions in the West. After having been reduced nearly to extinction at the turn of the century, they established a stronghold in Yellowstone National Park, Custer State Park in South Dakota, and in a few other isolated places around canyon country. In the annual rutting season, a ritual that occurs in early August, males charge each other, banging heads in competition. Always stay well out of a bison's way, especially during rutting season.
Bison are more dangerous than they appear. Each year visitors to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, Custer State Park in South Dakota, and Antelope Island and the Henry Mountains of Utah, as well as in other localities, approach bison too closely and are gored. People have been killed by these large animals. All wildlife are unpredictable and dangerous. Do not approach bison or any wildlife. If an animal reacts to your presence, you are too close.
Photos
Notes
- The main photo on this page was taken at Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota, September 2001.
- We've seen bison in Yellowstone National Park and at Wind Cave National Park.
Related Sites
Remember to bookmark this site before you venture off down these side trails. They lead to other Web sites that we do not control. We cannot vouch for the content on, nor do we endorse, these sites. The following links are intended to assist you in your quest for further related information. If you discover a broken link, or a link with inappropriate content, or know of a link that should be listed here, please let us know.
|
 |
More Outside Links |
||
