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Welcome to 'The Bison Page'. My book, 'Buffalo; a history and natural history of the North American Bison', came out in December 2016. The first fifty sold out almost straight away with nearly all of them heading off to the States. The book is now being printed on demand. It aims to bridge the gap between inaccessible academic works and coffee table books or those aimed at children. There are sections on evolution and biology but this is also a history of the bison, or buffalo, as I have elected to call it. Animal histories are finally beginning to emerge and animals' absence from History is being addressed, not from a sentimental point of view but in recognition of their importance to humans as sources of food, power, entertainment and companionship.
The bison is, perhaps, the most iconic of all North American creatures. In addition to its place in popular culture, its relationship with the Plains Indians is well known. Less well known is its status as the first animal saved by a deliberate act of conservation. Very nearly hunted to extinction, with just over 300 left in about 1884, it was brought back from the brink by well meaning individuals, although they inadvertently caused a different problem by breeding impure animals, creating a national herd which is, perhaps 'polluted' by domestic cattle genes.
Original drawing from the book.
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