The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-24
The American bison.

The preservation Of animal species
has become such a worldwide interest
that the care taken TO prevent the
extinction Of the American bison has
attracted almost a. much attention
in Europe "a in this country. The
reckless and wanton slaughter which
has made the efforts OF preservation
necessary Is being used as a lesson by
those nations that have African posses-
sions. The great herds Of buffalo were
all bu; annihilated, mainly because they
were so accessible to hunters with mod
ern firearms. While the friends Of Afri-
can animals account in the same way for
the extinction Of the quagga and the
slaughter of so much other game they
believe that there Is yet time TO save
from complete destruction many mag
nitiCent native species. because the last
great reservoirs of game in the central
part Of the continent were not brought
into easy reach OF the hunter until public
opinion had been partly educated. Al
though the United States has had to
learn It's lesson from bitter experience,
il II gratifying TO learn from the report
Of the American Bison Society. which
has Just been issued. that the American
endeavor 10 preserve the buffalo s meet
ing with considerable success
The president, Dr. WILLIAM T. HoR-
Midday. reports that the three herds NJ
present in the possession Of the Gov
ernment are all doing well. The most
recent OF these acquisitions is the herd
81 forty-seven bought by the society
from Mrs. ALICIA CONRAD and trans
ferred to range in Montana purchased
by act Of Congress on the Flathead
reservation north Of the Jacko River
and east 81 the Flathead. The second
herd in the Wichita national forest.
at Cache Okla. now numbers twenty
head. and the largest Of the herds, that
in the Yellowstone Park numbers
ninety-fve. DR.. HoRSADAT thinks the
Montana herd will alone be sufficient
To save the species from extinction, and
that within our own tImes IL will make
good 10 us the loss Of the Pablo herd to
Canada. He says:
Whenever Wild animals rave many square miles
Of grazing grounds 20 roam over In absoiuts free
dom feeding. .helS.rins and breeding - nature
prompts them. Tire ~ results Of inbresding thu,
times obtain IN domestic attic do not sppear.
Diseased domestic estus that are inbred In Close
confinement transmit and multiply their diseases
arI w-aSresSe> Wild species that roam sres,
ranges In state Of nature 90 nom strength 70
strength end there IL no deteriora uon through
'rB-r,Glng
u Is interesting 10 note that the price
paid for the Montana herd Was s77S a
head /, would have been quite a good
invc-tmen. 10 save a few Of these big
boasts from destruction; once they were
looked upon merely ~ encumberers ~
the earth, were slaughtered by thousands
on the Kansas plains, and about the only
revenue they furnished was the dollar
or two from the hides and the few cents
u pound paid for the bones collected
along the line Of the old Santa re trail
The number of pure blood bison in
North America is now ? los, as against
! 9l7 in lH0s. The number captive in the
I nited states is ,oO7; in Canada 625; the
Wild in the United States Is esti-
mated az IS and in Canada AZ $50. New
York city has a bison population Of -. Of
which - are in the Geological Park and
~ in Central Park.