The figure of the American buffalo was once imprinted on the nickel coin. These coins are now collector's items and very rare. Ironically, the buffaloes themselves were just as rare at the turn of the century and today they are a protected species.

These huge majestic creatures, also known as bisons, once roamed freely across the Great Plains of America, the western part of Canada and northern Mexico. They grazed in huge herds commanding the great expanse of the West as their native habitat. Their heavy heads have two short black horns and their humped shoulders are covered with long fur. This thick fur offers them protection against the bitterly cold winters which sweep down across the plains. They may reach a shoulder height of 1.5 meters and weight as much as 1,130 kgs. In the past, however, their natural endowments for survival did not protect them against the cruelty of man.

They were much prized by the Plains Indians who hunted them for their skins and meat. The hides of these animals were used to make clothing and tents. The warmth of the buffalo fur protected the Indians from the harsh winds and snow of winter. The flesh of these animals became a protein source for their diet. It is easy to see that the presence of the buffaloes was essential to the life and culture of the Native American.

It had also been believed that eating the warm heart of a fallen buffalo after a hunt would endow the Indian with strength and courage.

At their peak, the buffaloes numbered more than sixty million, a figure which would have guaranteed their endurance for hundreds of generations. Such was not to be the case.

With the expansion of the West and the development of cities and industry, the herds began to diminish. In particular, the building of the transcontinental railroad spelled doom for the bison. The white settlers wantonly slaughtered millions of buffaloes, at times only for sport, leaving them an endangered species at the turn of the century. This unabashed slaughter of these magnificent animals for sport and meat reduced the great herds to near extinction. In 1900 there were only three hundred left in the United States. This condition drastically altered the life of the Plains Indians.

Now, the trend has been reversed and the buffaloes live in the wilderness on reservations with the hope that their numbers will increase. They will never reach their former status when they roamed freely over the majestic, windswept plains. But hopefully man will be wise enough to protect them from extinction.