Why the U.S. Army Guarded the 23 Remaining American Buffalo (4K)

In 1882, General Philip Sheridan's expedition to the protected buffalo haven in Yellowstone National Park revealed a gruesome reality: Poachers were continuing to slaughter the last remnants of America’s big-game icon. He then called in the U.S. Army to intervene.

From: THE LAST BUFFALO

[HoyeGraphics]

Bison are fantastic creatures, if you can get to meet one close and personal, it's a great experience.
they're bloody massive too.

[toad]

They are guarding the last 23 because they slaughtered 1.3mil? Ohhh.

[seapanther]

It was Charles Goodnight's wife who nursed the last orphaned and abandoned buffalo calves. She is rightfully credited for saving the buffaloes in America. Her husband was portrayed as Woodrow Call in the Lonesome Dove series, which was loosely based off of Goodnight.

[scottduyser]

How Ironic. The U.S army is a big reason there were only that many left.

[kaijuslayer]

I like how everyone’s complaining so much on what this guy did before hand, yet no one is mentioning how he literally saved the species. There’s no doubt with just 20ish Bison being left, they probably would have been hunted to extinction. So give the man a little credit, especially in a time before Roosevelt.

[michelangelobuonarroti]

This must mean that buffalo now have very little genetic diversity.

[conniecrawford]

I grew up in Bethel Park, PA, a lovely suburb south of Pittsburgh, next to the massive county par South Park. In the 1920s or 1940s South Park received a small shipment of bison from the government in an attempt to reintroduce bison to the East Coast. I grew up with Big Thunder and Little Thunder in the 1950s and 1960s- the herd even escaped once and we had a few buffalo in our garden! I was famous at school for being the kid who had yard buffalo! Good memories! South Park still has descendants of the original herd in a fenced in enclosure in South Park! lol

[Kwiyagat]

Army: (shoots bison to weaken native American's main source of food)

Also Army: *uh, yeah we should do something about that.*

[bilwisss]

General Philip Sheridan still sounds like a jerk,
no matter how you wash it.

[yik-t]

My favorite animal. They were the livelihood of a whole race of people for centuries: food, clothing, tools, and culture. We saw some at Yellowstone, they were gorgeous.

[kennethsatria]

Elk screeches are pretty epic for some reason

[nicknackpattywack]

I love this channel. I have learned so much useless information and I can't stop watching.

[wolfpatrol]

Wow what a bottleneck effect. 23 left? Modern buffalo must have very little genetic variation then.

[KillerChair]

23 bisons!? Not a healthy number, some inbreeding definitely went on to bring the numbers back up.

[pirate]

Buffalo: *buffalo noises*



Elk:

[Ashyri]

it went from 23, to 200, 000 in 150 years

[aisforamerica]

I'm so glad they did this. I've had the pleasure of seeing these creatures in person. Thank God for Gen Sheridan!

[spencerallen]

I love those tall pines and beautiful open meadows with scattered trees.

[sickb]

The American Bison is my spirit animal.

[stenbak]

Another amazing video, also my favorite president is Teddy so it's always nice to hear about him