Template:POTD/2026-05-03
The American bison (Bison bison), commonly called the American buffalo, is a species of bovid and one of two living species of bison, alongside the European bison. With wild bulls recorded at up to 1,270 kilograms (2,800 lb), it is among the heaviest extant land animals in North America. Once numbering an estimated 60 million, the species was driven close to extinction by the late 19th century. Conservation and reintroduction have restored populations to some extent, and it is now found mainly in scattered conservation herds and protected areas across Canada, Mexico and the United States. The American bison is the national mammal of the United States and has for centuries been central to the lives and cultures of many Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains, being hunted as a source of food, clothing and shelter. This plains bison (subspecies B. b. bison) was photographed on rangeland in the Western United States by Jack Dykinga for the Agricultural Research Service.Photograph credit: Jack Dykinga