Yellowstone Bison Are Built for Winter Survival ❄️ Epic Yellowstone   Smithsonian Channel - video Dailymotion

Watch Yellowstone Bison Are Built for Winter Survival ❄️ Epic Yellowstone   Smithsonian Channel - MANAR G TV on Dailymotion

Transcript

00:00 A winter blizzard in Yellowstone is a singular collision of mighty forces.

00:09 Snowfall accumulates in staggering depths.

00:22 Few species are prepared to withstand these conditions.

00:33 But two million winters have shaped a creature who attempts to survive here long after others

00:39 have fled.

00:44 The bison.

00:46 A muscular hump supports a massive head.

00:52 A snowplow that clears away drifts and uncovers buried grasses.

01:01 A dense coat and layers of fat stave off the punishing wind and cold.

01:12 These beasts carry winter with them every step.

01:20 They're the descendants of survivors from a past world.

01:26 The conquest of the continent nearly spelled the extinction of their species.

01:34 In the 1800s, as America expanded westward, herds that numbered in the tens of millions

01:42 were slaughtered.

01:44 By the late 19th century, only a few hundred bison remained.

01:51 The last free-roaming herd lay hidden in a remote valley in Yellowstone.

02:13 These two dozen bison became the source for a recovery of the species.

02:24 Yellowstone is now home to thousands of bison.

02:29 They wage an ancient battle with the storm.

02:35 But each winter, there comes a time when the snow gets too deep for these animals to find

02:40 a forage.

02:43 The bison begin to stir, to rearrange themselves.

02:49 A matriarch, the leader of the herd, gives a signal.

02:59 It's time to move.

03:06 Guided by instinct and experience, the bison fall into line to follow her trail.

03:16 This is the beginning of their migration.

03:41 As darkness falls, the herd leaves the valley, marching towards the heart of Yellowstone's

03:48 warmth and the possibility of relief.

03:52 [music]

03:56 (upbeat music)