Gps Coordinates  /  43.580517,-103.4899793

Wild Bison Street View 2013 VR South Dakota

HGJ6+622 Pringle, South Dakota, USA

Bison, one of America’s national animals, are the largest mammals within Badlands National Park in South Dakota

As few as 12,000 to 15,000 pure bison are estimated to remain in the world.

Link Location Gps -103.4917672

Gps Coordinates  /  43.5814517,-103.4917672

Recent genetic studies indicate that, like most bison herds, the Antelope Island bison herd has a small number of genes from domestic cattle.

 Link Location Gps  /  Gps Link -103.4917058  /  Gps Link -103.4916329  /  Gps Link -103.4915545

Gps Coordinates  /  43.5813639,-103.4917058  /  43.5812808,-103.4916329  /  43.5812046,-103.4915545

"The creation stories of where buffalo came from put them in a very spiritual place among many tribes.

Today, the population has reached approximately 1,200 bison.

 Link Location Gps  /  Gps Link -103.4914709  /  Gps Link -103.4913822  /  Gps Link -103.4912856

Gps Coordinates  /  43.5811334,-103.4914709  /  43.5810666,-103.4913822  /  43.5810077,-103.4912856

Among many Native American tribes, especially the Plains Indians, the bison is considered a sacred animal and religious symbol.

 Link Location Gps  /  Gps Link -103.4911816  /  Gps Link -103.4910745  /  Gps Link -103.4909687

Gps Coordinates  /  43.5809573,-103.4911816  /  43.5809119,-103.4910745  /  43.5808698,-103.4909687

These giant beasts, weighing anywhere between 900 and 2,000 pounds, are part of a fascinating ongoing wildlife conservation effort at the park.

 Link Location Gps  /  Gps Link -103.4908647  /  Gps Link -103.4907638  /  Gps Link -103.4906165

Gps Coordinates  /  43.5808302,-103.4908647  /  43.5807931,-103.4907638  /  43.5807398,-103.4906165

In 2002, the United States government donated some bison calves from South Dakota and Colorado to the Mexican government.

 Link Location Gps  /  Gps Link -103.4905062  /  Gps Link -103.490377  /  Gps Link -103.4902406

Gps Coordinates  /  43.5806995,-103.4905062  /  43.5806545,-103.490377  /  43.5806061,-103.4902406

Custer State Park in South Dakota is home to 1,500 bison, one of the largest publicly held herds in the world, but some question the genetic purity of the animals.

 Link Location Gps  /  Gps Link -103.4901077  /  Gps Link -103.4898593  /  Gps Link -103.4897443

Gps Coordinates  /  43.5805606,-103.4901077  /  43.5804764,-103.4898593  /  43.5804376,-103.4897443

 Recent genetic studies of privately owned herds of bison show that many of them include animals with genes from domestic cattle. Have been known to escape and herd with wild versions of them.

 Link Location Gps  /  Gps Link -103.4896296  /  Gps Link -103.4895109  /  Gps Link -103.4893907

Gps Coordinates  /  43.5804032,-103.4896296  /  43.5803798,-103.4895109  /  43.5803695,-103.4893907 

 For example, the herd on Santa Catalina Island, California, isolated since 1924 after being brought there for a movie shoot, were found to have cattle introgression.

Not to be confused with true buffalo, is a species of bison native to North America.

 Link Location Gps  /  Gps Link -103.4893907  /  Gps Link -103.489268

Gps Coordinates  /  43.5803695,-103.4893907  /  43.5803731,-103.489268

Despite being the closest relatives of domestic cattle native to North America, bison were never domesticated by Native Americans.