Meet Your New National Mammal, the American Bison

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 Congress

Stereoscopic view of a Bison. Circa 1875.

From the New York Public Library

A postcard illustrating Bison at water. Circa 1898-1931.

From the New York Public Library

Herd of American Bison, browsing in safety, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Circa 1895-1920.

From the New York Public Library

American bison, circa 1906.

Library of Congress

Bison in the Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Circa 1907.

Library of Congress

An American bison, circa 1930.

Hulton Archive—Getty Images

A herd of bison migrating south from Yukon. Circa 1930.

Fox Photos—Getty Images

Bison herd in Arizona. 1935.

Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone—Getty Images

On 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 Images

A North American Bison, circa 1950s.

Paul Popper—Popperfoto/Getty Images

Bison in the Witchita Mountains wildlife refuge. 1952.

Bettman—Getty Images

Bison crowded together in a corner of one of their enclosures at Daniels Park.

Ira Gay Sealy—The Denver Post/Getty Images

Well 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 Images

Herd of bison roaming across National Bison Range in Montana. 1961.

George Silk—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images

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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.

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