It has been a good couple of weeks for bison in the United States. First, we saw North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz drafted with the second overall pick by the Philadelphia Eagles. Now the country that recognizes the eagle as the national bird will now officially recognize the bison as the official mammal of the United States.
Yes, the distinction of being the national mammal of the country was signed today by President Barack Obama. Sorry dogs, mountain lions and grizzly bears. You were no match for the mighty bison. And we know for sure our national mammal would stampede all over Canada’s beloved mammal, the beaver.
It’s official! @POTUS signed the National Bison Legacy Act, making the American bison the official national mammal. pic.twitter.com/QnKrjKbdXc
— World Wildlife Fund (@World_Wildlife) May 9, 2016
We can only assume that humans were not in the running, for whatever reason. If there were a vote, Americans surely would have voted for ourselves, right? But what exactly does the bison get out of this newly bestowed honor?
The National Bison Legacy Act does nothing more than simply recognize the bison as the official mammal of the United States. That’s it. No prize money. No red-carpet treatment. No free upgrades at Starbucks and no free tickets to sporting events or early showings of blockbuster films. Nope. Instead, the bison get to continue living their lives as they already do, without a care in the world for what people think of them.
But maybe we’ll get the return of the buffalo nickel? That’d be cool.
