Buffalo or Bison Standing

Standing with its head down, cocked to the side, this cold-painted metal Buffalo looks majestic. There’s nice detail to his hide, the horns, the eyes and mouth. The bison’s hump is hinged and opens to access the inkwell.

American bison, commonly called a buffalo, have a hump on their shoulders and horned heads. They once grazed across the United States in great numbers, estimated as many as 60,000,000. Until the arrival of Europeans, the buffalo herds supplied the Plains Indians with meat and hide. With the ensuring westward migration, the wanton slaughter of the animal decimated the herd, their number dwindling to about 1,000.

Thanks to conservation efforts, the bison’s numbers are now stable, and it is no longer endangered. Today, about 30,000 bison live in conservation-focused herds throughout North America. Another 400,000 or so are raised as livestock on ranches and farms.