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Bison populations have rebounded in recent years, but never come close to amassing their former numbers. USA TODAY
A bison grazes in Yellowstone National Park near Gardiner, Mont., in this March 9, 2016 photo. The bison could soon become the national mammal of the United States.(Photo: Matthew Brown, AP)
The American bison is one step closer to becoming the national mammal of the United States.
On Thursday evening, two days after the House voted for designating the bison as the national mammal, the Senate also approved the bill.
It’s now up to the president to sign the<span style="color: Red;">*</span>legislation, which would officially put the behemoth animals on an equal level with the Bald Eagle, which is the nation’s official bird.
Millions of bison used to roam the Great Plains, though populations were decimated during the Indian Wars to deprive Native Americans of their food sources, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Today, bison populations have rebounded, but never come close to amassing their former numbers.
Designating the bison as the national mammal, recognizes the important role the animals have played in the story of our nation, Keith Aune, Wildlife Conservation Society Senior Conservationist and Bison Program Coordinator, said in a statement.
“The passage of this bill not only recognizes the historic significance of bison but signals the beginning of a grand American adventure to carry out ecological, economic and cultural restoration of American bison into the future,” Aune said.
Follow @MaryBowerman on Twitter.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>
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