03/17/2026
Bison on the MOOOve!
🚛— 🦬 🦬 🦬 —
These Bronze Bison are making their way to Washington D.C. where they will eventually find their permanent home on the National Mall. Their presence commemorating the USA’s 250th Birthday.
While we love and support conservation in Africa, we would be remiss to not recognize North America’s conservation success story in The American Bison.
Last night, the Field Museum of Chicago partnered with The Smithsonian Institute to bring the story of America’s keystone species to life.
The story of the great American Bison is a dramatic “back from the brink” natural history tale—a journey from near-extinction to becoming the first National Mammal of the United States.
Here is a brief history of this amazing comeback story:
The Great Plains Transformation
▪️In the 1700s: Bison numbered in the tens of millions. While estimates vary, most historians and biologists place the population between 30 million and 60 million roaming the continent.
▪️By 1884: The population reached its lowest point. Following decades of westward expansion, industrial-scale hunting, and political efforts to impact Native American livelihoods, there were only about 325 bison left in the wild.
▪️With dedicated efforts of the American Bison Society (founded in 1905 by William Hornaday and Theodore Roosevelt), along with indigenous leaders and private ranchers, the species was saved.
▪️Current numbers are estimated to be near 500,000 with 20,000+ of those being in “conservation herds”. 11,000 are managed by the Federal government and an estimated 30,000 bison are managed on tribal lands in the U.S. and Canada. Lastly, in Yellowstone: The largest, non-commercial, free-ranging herd consists of roughly 5,000–6,000 individuals.
. . .
Such an inspiring evening in conversation with The President of The Field Museum, Julian Siggers & Kirk Johnson, Sant Director, National Museum of Natural History.
