Oklahoma State Animal

American Buffalo or Bison Bison bison Adopted: March 29, 1972

The American Buffalo, or Bison, was adopted by Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 101 on March 29, 1972.

ENROLLED SENATE
CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION NO. 101

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION DESIGNATING AND ADOPTING THE AMERICAN BUFFALO OR BISON AS THE STATE ANIMAL OF OKLAHOMA; AND DESIGNATING DISTRIBUTION.

WHEREAS, the American Buffalo or Bison is widely and well known as the North American mammal of great stature and great strength which the early explorers of our continent found in abundance on our Great Plains; and

WHEREAS, the American buffalo or Bison has come to be a symbol both of the courage and perseverance that were necessary to "tame the West" and of man's responsibility to protect and preserve his natural environment; and

WHEREAS, the magnificent animal was native to both the grasslands and woodlands of what is now Oklahoma and was significant in the cultures and ceremonies of many of the Indian tribes who lived in Oklahoma and have passed along their heritage to modern day Oklahomans; and

WHEREAS, the American Buffalo or Bison now is preserved and protected in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge and in other public and private areas of the State where continuing efforts are done to develop the husbandry of this greatest of the native grazing bovines.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE 2ND SESSION OF THE 33RD OKLAHOMA LEGISLATURE, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN:

SECTION 1. The American Buffalo or Bison is hereby designated and adopted as the State Animal of the State of Oklahoma.

SECTION 2. Copies of this Resolution shall be distributed to the historical societies, museums and public and school libraries of the State of Oklahoma.

Adopted by the Senate the 16th day of March, 1972.

Adopted by the House of Representatives the 29th day of March, 1972.

Oklahoma Law

The Oklahoma State Legislature named the bison Oklahoma's official state animal by concurrent resolution and it is, therefore, not listed in the Oklahoma Statutes.

Sources...

"Official State Animal." Message to Oklahoma Department of Libraries. 12 May 2005. E-mail.

Shearer, Benjamin F. and Barbara S. State Names, Seals, Flags and Symbols: A Historical Guide Third Edition, Revised and Expanded. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 3 Sub edition, 2001.

Additional Information

Oklahoma state animal: American Buffalo or Bison
Photographs, prints, and posters

American Bison: Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge.

Where the Buffalo Roam: This Western heritage roadtrip through north central Oklahoma includes ranches, museums and bison herds to give you the feel of the Old West. Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department.

The American Bison: Oklahoma Prairie Country website of Tallgrass Prairie Preserve docent.

American Bison (Bison bison): National Wildlife Foundation's eNature.com field guide.

Oklahoma state animal: American buffalo or bison
Photographs, prints, and posters

Bison bison (American bison): Smithsonian Museum of Natural History - North American Mammals.

Bison bison (American bison): The University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Animal Diversity Web.

Bos bison - (Linnaeus, 1758), American bison: A network connecting science with conservation - NatureServe Explorer: An Online Encyclopedia of Life.

Bison bison (Linnaeus, 1758): Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Here you will find authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.

State Animals: Complete list of official state animals from NETSTATE.COM.

More symbols & emblems: Complete list of official Oklahoma state symbols from NETSTATE.COM.

Bison
Cherie Winner

Bison (Our Wide World), by Cherie Winner. 48 pages. Publisher: Northword Books (March 1, 2001) Reading level: Ages 9-12. Bison provides information about where the Bison live, what they eat, when they sleep, how they raise their young, and much more. Lots of vivid, full color photographs and illustrations. Sidebar 'Fun Facts,' an index, and a list of useful Internet Sites. There is plenty to interest report writers and animal lovers in this book.

Buffalo
Dorothy Patent

Buffalo: The American Bison Today, by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent. 80 pages. Publisher: Sandpiper (October 18, 1993) Reading level: Ages 9-12. A vivid description of the life of the buffalo in each season of the year details its ways of courtship, birth, and winter survival. "Will make a useful addition to any library collection not only as a behavioral study of the American bison but as a success story in wildlife management and the return of an endangered species." -- School Library Journal, starred review School Library Journal Best Books of the Year.

American Bison
William Caper

American Bison: A Scary Prediction, by William Caper. 32 pages. Publisher: Bearport Publishing (July 31, 2007) Reading level: ages 9-12. Was it too late to save the American bison? For thousands of years, this remarkable creature had lived peacefully in North America. Yet by 1889, years of hunting had pushed the animal to the brink of extinction. Would people find a way to help the bison survive?

In American Bison: A Scary Prediction, children relive the inspiring and heroic efforts of people who stepped in to save this remarkable creature when all seemed lost. Through this true tale of wildlife survival, readers discover the bold and creative ideas that Americans and their government have used to protect and care for the country?s endangered wildlife.

The Buffalo Book
David A. Dary

The Buffalo Book: The Full Saga of the American Animal , by David A. Dary. 384 pages. Swallow Press; 1 edition (December 1, 1989) The journals and memoirs of 19th century explorers and travelers in the American West often told of viewing buffalo massed together as far as the eye could see. This book appropriately covers the subject of the buffalo as extensively as that animal covered the plains. Other recent accounts of the buffalo have focused on two or three aspects, emphasizing its natural history, the hunters and the hunted in prehistoric time, the relationship between the buffalo and the American Indian. David Dary's treatment stretches from horizon to horizon. Of course he discusses the origin of the buffalo in North America, its locations and migrations, its habits, its significance and role in both Indian and white cultures, its near demise, its salvation. But more. Dary weaves throughout his fact-filled book fascinating threads of lore and legend of this animal that literally helped mold who and what America is. Further, in addition to detailing the extinction which almost befell this mythic beast and the attempts to give life again to the herds, Dary concentrates significant attention on the buffalo as part of 20th century America in terms of captivity, husbandry, and symbol.

American Bison
Dale F. Lott

American Bison: A Natural History, by Dale F. Lott. 245 pages. Publisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (November 1, 2003)

American Bison combines the latest scientific information and one man's personal experience in an homage to one of the most magnificent animals to have roamed America's vast, vanished grasslands. Dale F. Lott, a distinguished behavioral ecologist who was born on the National Bison Range and has studied the buffalo for many years, relates what is known about this iconic animal's life in the wild and its troubled history with humans. Written with unusual grace and verve, American Bison takes us on a journey into the bison's past and shares a compelling vision for its future, offering along the way a valuable introduction to North American prairie ecology.