Bison

Once a vital part of Indigenous People’s way of life, the bison’s numbers have long dwindled. Learn how NWF is bringing the bison back through its Tribal Partnership Program.

Transcript

Peter Gros: Welcome to National Wildlife Week. You know one of America’s iconic animals was the bison, or commonly known people refer to it as a buffalo. At one time, it ranged all over the plains of North America.

[Music]

Peter Gros: There were over 30 million at that time due to hunting and disease and other problems that are numbers dwindled drastically. Now the National Wildlife Federation is working on a project with tribal people to restore them.

David Mizejewski: That’s right, the buffalo or the bison was just really, really important for the ecosystems of America and they were also hugely important to the indigenous populations here. And so through the National Wildlife Federation’s Tribal Partnerships Program, we’re working together to bring these animals back to their native habitat and to bring them back to tribes like the Eastern Shoshone in Wyoming.

Peter Gros: And it’s so great that there’s so much more interest in people viewing wildlife, but one small warning, this is an animal that weighs a ton, stands over six feet tall. They look very calm grazing alongside the Roan, maybe in Yellowstone Park. Never get out and get close and try to get a picture. They’re a very flighty animal that can turn on a dime and have been known to trample people. So like all wildlife, enjoy them from a distance.

David Mizejewski: That’s right and that’s what National Wildlife Week is all about. It’s about celebrating our wild neighbors in this big backyard that we’re all sharing. So I hope everyone goes right now and takes the National Wildlife Week pledge.