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Buffalo (Bison bison) at the Refuge:
 Male
buffalo often weigh 2,000 lbs. or more and stand 5 to 6 feet high
at the shoulders
The
huge head and great hump are covered with dark brown wooly hair that contrasts
with their relatively small hips
Despite
their great size and bulk, buffalo have amazing mobility, speed, and agility
and are able to sprint at speeds of 30 mph
Buffalo
have cloven hoofs. Both male and female have a single set of hollow, curved
horns
Buffalo
have a life expectancy of about 20 years |
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History of the Buffalo:
In
1806, Lewis and Clark wrote, "The moving multitude...darkened the whole
plains"
As
the American frontier expanded westward, a systematic reduction of
the buffalo began around 1830
Organized
groups of hunters killed buffalo for hides and meat, often killing up to
250 buffalo a day |
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Estimates
indicate there were once between 30 to 75 million buffalo in North America,
but the great herds were reduced to less than 300 buffalo by 1900
Today,
buffalo populations are strong once again, with an estimate of 200,000 buffalo
roaming the plains, many at National Wildlife Refuges, National Parks,
and private herds |
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For more photos and information click photos below
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Credits
© Copyright 1998, Friends of the Prairie Learning Center
All Rights Reserved Legal
Notices
email: buffalo@tallgrass.org
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