For more than two centuries, the bald eagle has symbolized the U.S. in feathered form. Now, the bird of prey is getting some emblematic company: The American bison has become the country’s official National Mammal.
President Obama signed the National Bison Legacy Act into law on Monday, honoring the role the enormous animal has played in American history. In addition to the species’ importance in many Native American cultures, the bison has also served as a symbol of conservation success, coming back from the brink of extinction with an assist from Teddy Roosevelt.
See Majestic Historical Photos of the U.S.’s New National Mammal
Lithograph of an American Indian on horseback killing a bison. Circa 1850-1860.Library of CongressStereoscopic view of a Bison. Circa 1875.From the New York Public LibraryA postcard illustrating Bison at water. Circa 1898-1931.From the New York Public LibraryHerd of American Bison, browsing in safety, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Circa 1895-1920.From the New York Public LibraryAmerican bison, circa 1906.Library of CongressBison in the Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Circa 1907.Library of CongressAn American bison, circa 1930.Hulton Archive—Getty ImagesA herd of bison migrating south from Yukon. Circa 1930.Fox Photos—Getty ImagesBison herd in Arizona. 1935.Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone—Getty ImagesOn a ranch in southern Michigan; there are several hundred wild bison snorting and pawing the ground and ready to toss all intruders. 1945.Toronto Star Archives—Getty ImagesA North American Bison, circa 1950s.Paul Popper—Popperfoto/Getty ImagesBison in the Witchita Mountains wildlife refuge. 1952.Bettman—Getty ImagesBison crowded together in a corner of one of their enclosures at Daniels Park.Ira Gay Sealy—The Denver Post/Getty ImagesWell into his 20s, this white bull is one of the most photographed animals on the bison range at Moiese, Montana. 1957.The Denver Post—Getty ImagesHerd of bison roaming across National Bison Range in Montana. 1961.George Silk—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
According to a 2012 census taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there were more than 180,000 bison roaming public and private lands in the U.S. and Canada, Politico reports.
