These bison (a.k.a. buffalo) are really amazing animals. I never really anticipated how impressive they are. We had some amazing close encounters while in our car. Check out the videos near the bottom of the this page.
Although they look slow and lumbering, when angry or alarmed, they can run 35+ MPH and jump over 4 foot fences. They have a generally irritable temperament - you really need to give them their space and not annoy them. You can't outrun them and they will gore you if they get too close. The older large males are over 5 feet tall at the shoulders and can weigh nearly 2,000 pounds. They are HUGE. I think the good news is after running you down, they won't eat you as they are herbivores ;-)
There are about 5,000 bison that live in the park today in several large herds. Many migrate out to other areas in the winters. At their peak, some experts estimate there were between 25 and 60 MILLION bison. By the late 1800s they were hunted to near extinction.
The babies (they call them "red dogs") look more like cows than bison and are very cute and playful.
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