Meet adorable baby Yellowstone bison Zoomie
Baby bison appeared to be having fun chasing each other while catching zoomies in Yellowstone National Park.
The bison is the national animal of the United States and is considered a symbol of the West. The Trump administration is currently pushing to remove animals from public lands in Montana.
The Bureau of Land Management wants to stop hundreds of animals from feeding on Phil’s federal land.Lipps County, the second largest county in the state.
In January, American Prairie, the nonprofit group at the center of the dispute, objected to a federal proposal to revoke the BLM’s 2022 grazing permit that allowed hundreds of bison to graze on 63,000 acres in north-central Montana, the group said on its website.
The New York Times reports that if the decision passes, American Prairie would have to remove hundreds of bison from its land.
“This proposal is an unprecedented reversal of BLM’s own decision-making, which has treated bison as eligible livestock under federal grazing law for more than 40 years,” American Prairie CEO Allison Fox said in a statement.
“BLM legally approved these permits after thorough environmental reviews and defended them for years,” she added. “To suddenly cancel them now, under political pressure, would create untold uncertainty and send a chilling signal to tribes, ranchers, and conservation partners who depend on fair and predictable management of public lands.”
The Grand Tribal Coalition, which represents more than 50 Native American tribes, also opposed the plan, warning that it could have “unintended negative impacts on tribal bison herds.”
The proposal comes after years of criticism from politicians and local ranchers who want to use the land to raise cattle, the Montana Free Press reported.
According to The New York Times, the plan could give Republicans an advantage in Western states during the midterm elections, as some farmers and ranchers have publicly opposed tariffs and hikes in fertilizer and diesel prices.
USA TODAY has reached out to BLM for comment.
Why are bison important?
Bison are large mammals with thick brown fur and horns on their heads.
According to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, males, known as bulls, can be up to 5.5 to 6.5 feet tall, while females, also known as cows, can be up to 4 to 5 feet tall. The animals weigh between 1,800 and 2,400 pounds.
This mammal was once known as a keystone species in the Great Plains ecosystem. This meant that the health of the ecosystem depended heavily on bison, and they were considered “pillars of community stability,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Before 1800, the bison population was estimated at between 30 million and 100 million, according to the National Zoo. But in 1890, fewer than 1,000 bison remained in North America.
The National Park Service said on its website that drought, overhunting, the removal of Native Americans and migration westward contributed significantly to the bison’s near-extinction. According to the zoo, the U.S. government also killed many bison in the 1800s when settlers moved into the area to “destroy the way of life of the Plains Indians.”
By 2026, the bison population will reach 500,000, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature considers bison to be a “near-threatened” species and “vulnerable” to further population decline. American bison are primarily found in Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, Utah, and Alaska.
Julia Gomez is a trends reporter for USA TODAY, covering invasive species, space phenomena, scientific research, natural disasters, and trending news. Connect with her on LinkedIn ×Instagram, TikTok: @juliamariegz or email jgomez@gannett.com.
