American Buffalo on the Prairies

After a couple of centuries absence, wild American bison or American buffalo (Bison bison) can be seen to roam some small patches of the prairies in the Midwest once more. While once numbering 20 to 30 million across the endless American prairies, the number of bison remaining alive in North America declined to as low as 541 individual animals after the great slaughter during the 1800s.

It is hard not to be impressed by the sheer size of these animals when you see them up close with males weighing up to 1 tonne. All the more impressive when you consider that they can run 35–40 mph (56–64 km/h) and jump close to 6 ft (1.8 m) vertically when agitated.

In 2015 Illinois saw its first wild bison calf in nearly 200 years after one was born to a reintroduced herd at Nachusa Grasslands.

All shots taken at the Nachusa Grasslands in Illinois, USA.

Robert Downie
Love Life, Love Photography

_{All images in this post were taken by and remain the Copyright of Robert Downie - http://www.robertdowniephotography.com}