Bison in the Bronx

Around 150 years ago, the North American bison neraly went extinct due to the efforts of the colonists. But last week, the Senate and the House came together to make the bison the US national mammal. As WFUV's Jake Shore reports, most of the bison alive today can trace their roots somewhere a little unexpected. 

There were only around 21 bison left in the wild during the second half of the 19th century. And John Calvelli, who's with the Wildlife Conservation Society, says the origins of the movement to repopulate bison in America started right here in the Bronx. 

"They literally brought bison to the Bronx, bred them at the Bronx zoo, and then released them back into the wild," said Calvelli.

Calvelli says thanks to the Bronx Zoo's efforts, there are now more than half a million bison in the U.S.

"Just think about it, an icon of the American West was saved in the South Bronx," said Calvelli.

The bill to recognize the bison as a national symbol now heads to the President's desk. He's expectd to sign it into law early this week.