With nature safaris, wildlife tours, or just a trip at a national park near you, there will be times when you would come face-to-face with animals. And though some animals might seem docile or non-threatening, it is still best to exercise a lot of caution. For example, the bison may be a herbivore but they don't take invasion of their privacy lightly.
Bison, often colloquially referred to as buffalo, are scattered across much of the U.S. The largest population can be found in western states such as Wyoming, Montana, and Colorado, but protected herds may roam as far east as Kentucky. The biggest single herd of wild bison, meanwhile (about 4,500 members), is in Yellowstone National Park, the only place in the States where bison have lived continually since prehistoric times.
Bison may look like big, cuddly, slow-moving animals; they are anything but. The herbivorous ruminants can weigh as much as 2,000 pounds, but will run at speeds up to 35 mph (three times faster than humans), and jump over objects up to 5 feet tall. They’re agile, good swimmers, too, and have exceptional vision, hearing, and sense of smell. They’re most aggressive during their mating season in late July and August, and calving season in April and May.
The best thing to do when you encounter a bison is simply to back off slowly and hope that they didn't feel threatened when you came close to or stumbled upon them. Otherwise, there's nothing that would stop an angry bison from ramming toward you. You can still take a look at them from a good distance however with binoculars if you really want to see.
(Image credit: Daniel Mayer/Wikimedia Commons)