American Bison, Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota

The cave at Wind Cave National Park is only the most obvious attraction. The grounds preserve native Black Hills and Dakota prairie species, including American bison.

Vast herds of the ornery animals wander the grasslands, unfenced, occasionally blocking traffic on US 385 and SD 87.

And among the bison live huge cities of prairie dogs, barking to each other and passing motorists.

This is the prairie as our ancestors saw it.

And I for one hope all the US prairie becomes once again unfenced, with bisons in their millions wandering freely through the Buffalo Commons, instead of cattle. It’d be a healthier ecosystem, and we could manage them like a fishery. Think about it.

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