Bison Vs Buffalo

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Bison Vs Buffalo

At Wild Idea we get asked what the difference between buffalo and bison is quite often. Both terms refer to the same animal, but let us try and explain in more detail...


One question that we hear a lot of is: “What is the difference between Buffalo and Bison”. Quite simply, in

Herd of Bison

the United States, there is no difference, both names refer to the same animal and this has caused a lot of confusion for people. To make matters worse both terms are widely used and accepted – so not helping with the confusion.

The name “Buffalo” is thought to have originated from European settlers who confused the American Bison with African Buffalo or Asian Water Buffalo (“Buffalo”) from other countries. All three animals are very distantly related, but actually quite different. Over time, however, the name began to stick even though it was a misnomer. Today the word Buffalo is a widely accepted term for American Bison.

The name “Bison” comes both from the scientific name for the genus and also then the species. In North America today we have the species, which is known as the American Bison (Bison bison) of which there are two remaining sub-species. The first are the Plains Bison primarily found in the United States and Canada and the second is the Wood Bison, which are generally found only in Canada. It is from these scientific roots that we get the additional name for the same animal.

At Wild Idea Buffalo Co. we raise 100% Grass-Fed Bison that roam freely on the Great Plains of South Dakota much like their ancestors did for generations and long before the names got muddled.



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