2min chapter

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids cover image

Why do bison run fast but walk slowly?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids

CHAPTER

Conserving Energy in the Wild

Walking slow is going to conserve your energy. When you're living in the wild, you have to be cognizant of your predators and those who are out for you. The daily life of a bison is just walking around and eating. So there's no need to be on an inner rush. But yes, so conserve their energy to escape predators and they run at a pretty rapid rate. Which explains why the fences in the Fort Worth refuge are much taller than four or five feet.

00:00
Speaker 3
You can say that about me. I walk well, you can't say that about me because I don't run fast. But I think walking slow is going to conserve your energy. So when you're living in the wild, you have to be cognizant of your predators and those who are out for you, like for example for bison and their historic range have to worry about wolves and grizzly bears and animals like that. So being able to conserve their energy is very, very important. And the daily life of a bison is just walking around and eating. So there's no need to be on an inner rush. So conserve their energy. And then
Speaker 6
when you need to run fast because you're going to get a treat or because something's chasing you, then you can run
Speaker 3
fast. Yes. We've conserved all that energy so you can run away from the predators and they run up speeds of 30, 35 miles an hour. So they're very, very fast. They can jump vertical and they can jump clear four foot, five foot fences. They're very agile. But yes, so conserve their energy to escape predators and they run at a pretty rapid rate.
Speaker 1
Which explains why the fences in the Fort Worth refuge are much taller than four or five feet. I mentioned a minute ago that bison are an iconic American species. Lots of people think of herds of bison roaming the plains and they used to. This refuge is in a part of Texas where bison used to roam wild. You know, they are a keystone species.
Speaker 3
Without them, you wouldn't have other species, you know, as a prairie dog and some of these other critters that we might have in our native prairie. So a lot of the native wal-off depended on bison to thrive and survive.

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