Bison Fun Facts

Did you know ...

... that it's probably not a good idea to try and outrun a bison? Although they seem clumsy, bison—also known as buffalo—can run 35 miles per hour. Bison are North America's largest native land mammals. Bulls stand up to six feet tall at the shoulder, are 10 feet long, and can weigh more than a ton. And boy, do these big buffalo bellow. During the autumn rut, or mating season, a bellowing bull can be heard a mile away.

Most baby bison are born in May. Calves can stand within 30 minutes of birth, run within hours, and begin grazing within a week. Alaska bison have been known to live 20 years.

To control parasites, bison enjoy wallowing in the mud and rubbing against trees, boulders, and other large, stationary objects. Surprisingly, they can scramble over fences seven feet tall and swim across rivers a mile wide. So, if you are out wandering about and see a wallowing buffalo, wander on—but no slower than 35 miles per hour.

Did you know ... that Alaska used to have its very own species of buffalo? The wood bison, as it's known, became extinct in Alaska several hundred years ago—probably due to changes in the natural environment. The wood bison still survives in northern Canada. It's related to the more familiar plains bison of the American West but is darker, larger, and better suited to life in the north.

Although plains bison are not native to Alaska, 23 of these shaggy beasts were brought to Fairbanks in 1928 and released near Delta Junction. Since then, the herd has grown to 475 animals, making it one of the largest free-ranging buffalo herds in the world. Animals from the Delta herd have been used to start three other herds in Alaska at Farewell Lake, Chitina, and the Copper River Delta. Bison hunting is so popular that in 1996 nearly 18,000 people applied for 120 permits to hunt Delta bison.

Learn more about bison from the Alaska Wildlife Notebook Series.