The bison is a majestic, massive creature, a true emblem of the American frontier spirit. These sturdy animals roamed North America"s prairies for thousands of years in numbers estimated to be as high as 60 million. But settlement of the American West caused habitat loss, and that, combined with overhunting, nearly wiped out the species altogether by the end of the 19th century. Ranchers, conservationists, Native American tribes, and politicians worked to save the bison and today, nearly 500,000 bison can be found in North America. About 15,000 animals are in free-roaming herds that graze on US public lands, like the bison in today"s image, shown at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
American bison, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
Daiichi Tadami River Bridge, Fukushima, Japan
-
A hiker’s dream
-
Warm light through an ancient forest
-
Stop and smell the Sakura
-
Death Valley National Park, California, USA
-
Angkor, Cambodia
-
World Childrens Day
-
Whats blooming so brightly?
-
A beach of many colours
-
Black bear cub emerges into spring
-
Stunning symmetry
-
Meon Hill, Gloucestershire
-
A smooth landing, feet first
-
Dragon waterfall, Venezuela
-
London Marathon
-
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
-
Tulips at Emirgan Park in Istanbul, Türkiye
-
A mirror reflecting natures beauty
-
Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
-
The mountains are calling
-
Shell-ebrating sea turtles
-
Sequoias of the sea
-
Bewitched by the fairy flower
-
South Downs Dark Skies Festival
-
Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
-
The world’s greatest oasis?
-
Lake Tahoe, USA
-
December solstice
-
Ludlow aglow
-
A sky full of stars