Early in the 1800s thousands of buffalo roamed the plains of Montana. As the century grew to a close only a handful remained.
Fearing extinction of the species, efforts were made to save the buffalo. Today, after decades of conservation work, a large herd of buffalo thrives in Yellowstone National Park. By YNP estimates, about 5,450 buffalo roams in the Lamar and Hayden Valleys in Yellowstone. A smaller herd of about 350 is on the National Bison Range in western Montana, north of Missoula.
Of all the mammals, besides elk, it is easy to find and view buffalo in Yellowstone. During mid-summer, hundreds of buffalo graze on grasses in Hayden Valley along the Yellowstone River. The herd, only a short distance from the road, is easy to observe and photograph. One summer years ago, a massive bull buffalo In Yellowstone even entertained tourists, rolling on the ground and kicking up a huge dust cloud for self-amusement, close to Old Faithful Geyser.
On the cultural side, buffalo have always excited the imagination of Americans. The government has joined in by featuring buffalo on paper currency and coins. In 1901, the U.S. featured a buffalo, along with images of Lewis and Clark on a $10 note. The government printed this paper currency until the early 1920s. Recently, the buffalo has found a new home on a one-ounce gold coin, the American Buffalo Coin.
