Bison is a Greek word meaning ox-like animal. American bison, commonly referred to as buffalo, are herbivores whom graze on the grasses and sedges of the North American prairie. They're not a type of buffalo, which live exclusively in Africa (Cape Buffalo) and Asia (Water Buffalo).

An estimated 20-30 million bison once roamed the Great Plains of North America. Habitat loss and unregulated hunting by humans devastated these populations and by 1889 only ~ 1,000 bison remained. Today, ~ 530,000 bison currently exist; however, only ~ 15,000 of those are considered wild, free-range bison. The rest have been domesticated and are used primarily for their meat, which (apparently) tastes very similar to beef, but is lower in fat and cholesterol, yet higher in protein. This has led to the development of beefalo, a fertile hybrid of bison and cow.

Bison are among the most dangerous animals encountered by visitors to U.S. and Canadian national parks and have been known to attack humans, if provoked. Although they appear slow, they have been clocked at speeds of 40 mph (64 km/h).

POKEDEX ENTRY

Name | American Bison
Nickname | Buffalo
Height | 2.5 m (8.2 ft)
Weight | 1,600 kg (3,500 lbs)
Diet | Herbivore
Predators | Human, Grey Wolf, Brown Bear, and Coyote
GPS of Catch | Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA
Number of Pokemon (to date) | 1

For more pokeballs like this one, follow @pokemontrainer