10 Amazing Facts about Bison (aka Buffalo)

In the early 1800s, the American bison, commonly known as buffalo, roamed North America in large numbers, estimated to be around 40 million.
Unfortunately, the population of these majestic animals has drastically declined, with them now being classified as a species near threatened by extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).
There are two species of bison, the other being the European bison, which are further divided into two subspecies: plains and wood bison.
Despite their drastic decrease in population, the buffalo remain an iconic animal of the American plains, and their name is associated with mountains, rivers, sports teams, and cities.
Here are 10 interesting facts about them.
1. Bison are surprisingly quick!
2. Their have extremely thick coats.
3. The ecosystem needs them.
4. They nearly became extinct.
5. With that said, they are still considered "Ecologically extinct".
6. They are the Largest animal in North America.
7. Their calves are Magic.
8. Horns come equipped on both Males and Females.
9. They have a unique sound.
10. It's a tail of moods.

Credit footage to: @YellowstoneNPS and @CrossTimbersBison

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#animals #creature #bison #interestingfacts #majestic #american #iconic #buffalo

[CrossTimbersBison]

Nice video. Make sure if you are going to use other people’s footage, better give them credit for it. @ 0:45 sec mark is my footage.

[garybowler]

A friend on a Buffalo round up in Utah said he watched them run up what he thought was a cliff. They are part mountain goat.

[larrycourtney]

I worked on a small ranch where the owner had 160 buffalo. They are really quick they kinda hop like a deer. I saw one one day run up to a 6 foot fence and jumped right over it. Also you better have really good steel corrals when you go to work them, they'll just go through a wooden fence, and they are hard on chutes and trailers as well.

[se]

A really good video and informative. Thanks!!

[johndufford]

The forequarters and head are woolier than flanks & rump during most of the year because buffalo head INTO a storm (& thereby get out of it sooner), while domestic cattle who walk away from the storm are in the blizzard longer.
Also, always watch the tail of bison. When the tail goes up, it means one of two things: either they are going to charge, or they are going to discharge & you don't want to be too close in either case...

[grantburris]

My salute goes to my friend, the late John Mosby, who owned a herd of approximately 1100 bison in Oregon. Much of my knowledge of the animal comes from John. I miss him.

[GottaWannaDance]

Thanx a (40) Million!

You have a great narrating voice.

Subscribed

[nicholaslacovara]

THere are a few mistakes. Before 1800 there were an estimated 60 million bison. By 1850 there were less than 50 million. Almost 50 million were killed in the late 1800s. The lowest know number of bison was 1091 in 1889. There are two subspecies of North American Bison, the plains and wood bison. The near extinction of Bison in North America was a result of the United States' policy of hunting them to extinction. Killing Bison was done for two primary resons, to deprive Native Americans of food and to eliminate them as pests for domestic cattle ranchers and farmers. There are no known Bison without cattle genes. The name Buffalo is a misnomer started by the first Europeans who mistakenly thought there were the same as the African water buffalo and African cape buffalo.

[xwayesknbent]

and they were hunted to near extinction because of the dependence that plains tribes of Indigenous people on them. was the us govts plan to make the Indian dependent on them instead of being able to live as they have for time immemorial to eventually "conquer" the plains.

[marvinmartin]

Most wild species are not vocal. Except for breeding season. Wolves don’t bark!

[larryrunnels]

I find it hard to accept that they are ecologicly endangered since they have designated sale barns in Oklahoma, their meat is available in Costco and is available in very many meat markets.

[arielsea]

Good video. Though I drifted off that’s ok it was 1 a.m. You can also do a reading video for insomniacs to assist them regain their sleep pattern

[indyreno]

Bison are cattle that constitute the genus Bison, living bison species are found only in both North America and Europe, they are only found in the Holarctic kingdom, there are fifteen recognized species of bison: the †Iberian Bison (Bison voigtstendtensis), the †Menner's Bison (Bison menneri), the European Bison (Bison bonasus), the †Italian Bison (Bison deguilii), the †Taman Bison (Bison tamanensis), the †Georgian Bison (Bison georgicus), the †Caucasian Bison (Bison caucasicus), the †Nepalese Bison (Bison sivalensis), the †Steppe Bison (Bison priscus), the †Chinese Bison (Bison palaeosinensis), the †Siberian Bison (Bison schoetensacki), the †Antique Bison (Bison antiquus), the †Occidental Bison (Bison occidentalis), the †Long-Horned Bison (Bison latifrons), and the American Bison (Bison bison), the closest living relative of the bison (genus Bison) is the Yak (Poephagus grunniens).

[ponsford]

The animals being discussed are bison. The only buffalo in North America are found in zoos or possibly in farm type settings since buffalo are only native to Africa as the Cape Buffalo or Southern Asia as the Water Buffalo. The misnomer began when early settlers came across bison as they were traveling West and out of ignorance called them buffalo and it stuck. Just like so many inaccuracies and mistakes made by Europeans as they colonized new areas of the world.

[joywebster]

So if the goal is only population growth, what is the upside financially to ranching them? They'd be costly to feed if they aren't then bought by anyone. And are they allowed to freely roam again o the plains of the US a d Canada with the Moose and Elk?

[larryrunnels]

I dont u derstand the term hybridized. I always thought hybrids bt definition were sterile. Should they be referred to as crossbreeds iinstead?

[AnaMaria-yrtp]

Maravilho porque não é em português Brasil ....


...

[orgorg]

A lot of bison have wasting disease. I think that is the same as mad cow disease. I don't eat bison meat for that reason.

[beammeupscotty]

Really, no comment about why bison have "declined"? You lost me there.

[Teskatlipoca]

...they grow up to be the size of a family van and to weight of up to a ton?
no wander the native american could survive