Bison to become first national mammal

Some exciting news on the conservation front. Thanks to various US and Native efforts, the bison is making a comeback. Also interesting to note the role the Teddy Roosevelt and the Bronx Zoo played in their conservation, both tidbits of US history I was not aware of before.

The bison, an animal once hunted to the brink of extinction in America, is set to become the first national mammal of the US, putting it on a par with the bald eagle as a symbol of the nation.

Congress has passed legislation, the National Bison Legacy Act, which names the hoofed beast as a “historical symbol of the United States” and establishes it as the nation’s landmark mammal.

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Bison to become first national mammal, joining bald eagle as American symbol.