Wood Bison

This is not the Plains Bison, the animal most often seen in North America, but the much rarer Wood Bison, Bison bison athabascae. The Wood Bison is larger than the Plains Bison and is the largest land animal in North America. This species was nearly extinct a century ago but under protection has increased to 2-3000 animals. This example was photographed in Elk Island National Park, east of Edmonton, on a brief trip there in 2009. The photo was taken by my wife.