American Bison

Map
Photo of American Bison

North America's largest land mammal, the American bison can weigh over 2,000 pounds yet run 35 miles per hour — faster than you can, and with far better traction on rough ground. Tens of millions once moved across the continent in herds so vast they took days to pass, until hunting reduced them to fewer than a thousand animals by the 1880s. The bison you're watching today descends from that small remnant, part of a recovery effort that has become one of conservation's genuine success stories.

Nearby

The Zoo