Bison vs Buffalo: Grazing Giants

In 1876, bison thundered across the Great Plains, and yet not one could be found beside the Cape buffalo near the Limpopo River. North American bison, with their massive shoulder humps and thick beards, grazed open prairies in huge herds, their coats built for freezing winters. Meanwhile, buffalo like Africa's Cape buffalo had slick, dark hides and sweeping crescent horns, thriving in warm grasslands and swamps. Asian water buffalo waded past rice paddies, deep in muddy water. Bison and buffalo aren’t close cousins-bison belong to North America and Europe, buffalo live only in Africa and Asia. Bison use their heads to plough snow for grass; buffalo power through deep mud and can swim long distances. Remember: if it’s got a giant hump and a woolly beard, it’s a bison, not a buffalo. In 1876, the Great Plains rattled with bison hooves, while buffalo never set foot there.