Oh give me a home where the buffalo roam

The Texas State Bison Herd went viral on TikTok this week – although for an unfortunate reason.

@rebeccaclark

Solo hiking at Caprock Canyons State Park & Trailway in Texas. I was charged and gored by a bison because I was to CLOSE to be passing them on a trailway They are beautiful creatures protected by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) and are a part of the Texas State Bison Restoration Project where the park has restored the historic Charles Goodnight Bison herd (The Official Texas State Bison Herd) to a portion of its former range in the park. I am posting to support safety while enjoying Texas State Parks #TPWD #bisonetiquette101 #hikingsafety #llbean #chaos #rei

♬ dumb dumb – sped up – mazie

The hiker, Rebecca Clark, is thankfully going to be OK after being attacked by a bison at Caprock Canyons State Park, but this was certainly a very scary experience. She posted the video to alert the public to keep their distance from these “beautiful creatures” – the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department recommends staying at least fifty yards a way.

The bison, also known as the American Buffalo, have a troubled history. Hunted to near extinction in the nineteenth century, they experienced a comeback thanks to concerted conservation efforts. But they’re still a pale shadow of the mighty herds which dominated the plains in centuries past.

The Great Plains Restoration Council has proposed the creation of a Southern Great Plains Conservation and Recreation Area that could preserve up to 100,000 acres or more of plains and prairie land in the Texas Panhandle. This would give more room for the buffalo to roam and help protect pronghorn, elk, prairie dogs, foxes, and many birds. Preserving these grasslands is also essential in our fight against climate change as healthy prairie ecosystems absorb and store carbon from the atmosphere. 

It’s time to give the bison the home on the range they deserve.