Where the Buffalo Roam
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Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
In 2016 the American Bison officially became the national mammal, but long before that the bison was the state mammal of Wyoming and the key visual element of the state flag. A majestic animal in its own right, once regarded as the Monarch of the Plains, the bison provides a fitting counterpart to the towering peaks of the Teton Range. Having endured the rigors of the freezing winters and deep snow of Jackson Hole, a herd of bison, with its crop of new, light-colored calves, grazes on the lush spring grasses of Grand Teton National Park. As broad as this scene is, it also suggests even larger visions of the past and the natural ecology of Wyoming—and the nation.