A national icon Nov 2, 2019

A national icon

If ever there was an animal that deserved some recognition, it"s the bison. Since 2012, National Bison Day has been observed on the first Saturday of November to acknowledge the animal"s cultural, historical, and economic significance—as well as its remarkable comeback. Bison were once plentiful in America. Tens of millions strong in the 1800s, they roamed in great herds, helping to diversify and maintain the prairie habitat. They also played an important spiritual role in Native American cultures. Settlement of the American West caused habitat loss and that, combined with overhunting, nearly wiped out the species altogether, until ranchers, conservationists, and politicians teamed up to save them. In 1907, 15 bison from the Bronx Zoo were shipped to a wildlife refuge in Oklahoma to revive the population. Fast forward to today, and around 20,000 bison roam on public lands in the United States. In 2016, President Obama named the bison the National Mammal of the United States.

© Danny Green/Minden Pictures

palette

Today in History

Nov 2, 2018Celebrating Native American Heritage Month
Nov 2, 2020Waiting for winter
Nov 2, 2021Day of the Dead
Nov 2, 202275th anniversary of the Spruce Goose
Nov 2, 2023Death Valley National Park, California
Nov 2, 2024National Bison Day
Nov 2, 2025Maple and bamboo forests in Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Nov 5, 2025Peña Roya beech forest, Moncayo Natural Park, Aragon, Spain
Aug 31, 2022Blue linckia sea stars in Papua New Guinea
Jun 6, 2021On this shore, history was made
Dec 12, 2018The story of the poinsettia
Sep 22, 2018Time for brass bands and beer
Jan 28, 2026Whanganui National Park, Retaruke, New Zealand
May 20, 2019The island fox’s incredible comeback
Jul 17, 2023Cloughoughter Castle, County Cavan, Ireland
Jul 12, 2019The ‘Night of Nights’
Apr 30, 2020What kind of bird laid these eggs?
Sep 4, 2024Dusky eagle-owls, Pakistan
Dec 30, 2023Daiichi Tadami River Bridge, Fukushima, Japan
Aug 28, 2023Dubrovnik, Croatia
May 22, 2018Happy birthday to Crater Lake National Park
Jul 20, 2022National Moon Day
Jun 18, 2024Lupine fields, Snæfellsnes, Iceland
Jul 4, 2021Happy Independence Day!
Aug 9, 2024International Day of the Worlds Indigenous Peoples
Mar 3, 2022World Wildlife Day
Dec 12, 2021Wicker fields in Cañamares, Spain
Apr 3, 2023National Find a Rainbow Day
Jul 13, 2021Through an artist s eyes
Feb 8, 2024Mount Hood, Oregon
Jun 25, 2019Sutherland Falls in Fiordland National Park
Jun 15, 2020Surfer s paradise
Jul 25, 2020Going with the floe
Jan 17, 2019A wassailing we go
Mar 2, 2018Satellite image of sand and seaweed in the Bahamas
Mar 31, 2018Cherry blossoms at the National Mall, Washington, DC
Sep 30, 2024Walruses in Svalbard, Norway