American Bison

Wyoming State Mammal

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Bison / American buffalo

Bison / American buffalo; photo © James Ownby: My View of Nature (all rights reserved; used by permission).

Official State Mammal of Wyoming

Wyoming designated the American bison as official state mammal in 1985. The American bison is also a state symbol of Kansas and Oklahoma, and as of May 9, 2016, the official national mammal of the USA. All State Mammals

Legislation

"TITLE 8: GENERAL PROVISIONS; 8 3 111. State mammal. The Bison bison, commonly called the American bison or buffalo, is the state mammal of Wyoming."

Bison Facts

A bull bison can weigh over 1800 pounds and stand 6 foot tall at the shoulder. Bison once roamed the American prairie by the tens of millions and provided a way of life for Native Americans of the Great Plains, but European settlers hunted bison to the brink of extinction (it's estimated that between 300 - 500 animals remained when the federal government passed stricter game laws in 1889).

The American bison (Bison bison) is an inseparable part of American history; no other wild animal has played such a significant role in human affairs. The Native tribes of the American Plains relied on bison for food, shelter, clothing, and as a powerful spiritual symbol. 

Wyoming

Images

American buffalo (bison); state symbol of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Wyoming (also the national mammal of the USA).  Photo by Ray Morris/Flickr (noncommercial use permitted with attribution/no derivative works).

American buffalo (bison)

Bison (Bison bison); National Bison Range, near St. Ignatius, MT.  Photo by Keith Ewing/Flickr (noncommercial use permitted with attribution).

Bison; National Bison Range, near St. Ignatius, MT.

Bison sculpture; Wyoming State Capitol, Cheyenne, Wyoming.  Photo by Ken Lund/Flickr (noncommercial use permitted with attribution).

Bison sculpture at Wyoming State Capitol in Cheyenne, Wyoming

Videos

The Return of the Bison (Full Version)

Yellowstone National Park's Wildlife: Bison (Buffalo)