Buffalo are among the most powerful and enduring reminders of what was once the splendor of the great plains. During the mid-1800’s, these magnificent creatures thundered across the vast grasslands in herds larger than the eye could behold.
Striking wonder and awe in the hearts of the first settlers, it was not uncommon for travelers to hear the rumbling of thunder though no storm clouds could be seen. Feeling the very earth shake under their feet, there are recorded accounts of travelers falling to their knees in fear, overcome by what they believed was the second coming.
Standing six feet tall at the shoulder and weighing more than 2,000 pounds, the buffalo once numbered more than 70 million in North America alone. But endings aren’t always obvious. Thought to be an inexhaustible resource, it is estimated that there are less than 350,000 bison roaming in public herds today. One of these rare herds wanders the grasslands at Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge in western Nebraska.
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