The story behind the photo of a ‘mountain’ of bison skulls

American bison (Bison bison) is a herbivore distributed mainly in North America. In the wild, the average lifespan of this animal is 12 – 20 years. They weigh an average of 420 – 1,000 kg and are 2 – 3.5 m long, not including the tail. They have curved and sharp horns that can be up to 60 cm long.

Bison were an important resource for Native Americans in the Great Plains, Northwest, and Rocky Mountains. Not only as food, this animal also contributes in nearly every aspect of life, from using skin to make clothes, blankets, temporary shelter, to using bones as tools. But by the end of the 19th century, bison were almost extinct due to American expansion westward.

In 1870, there were at least 10 million bison in the southern population of the North American Plains, but less than 20 years later, the number had dwindled to just 500 wild individuals. The carnage was largely driven by economics and settlers’ need for land. Initially, the introduction of cattle by American farmers led to competition for space with bison. Then, in the 1870s, they were hunted for their skins, which were now easier to tan due to the growth of the leather industry.

Bison were also hunted for sport or as obstructions – railway workers would kill herds near any tracks to prevent them from obstructing the train’s journey. The US military also encouraged the killing of these animals because the federal government understood that their destruction would help control the native population.