Bison or Buffalo The Texas Debate | Austin News

A Texas bison escape sparked a centuries-old debate: bison or buffalo? Science says it’s Bison bison bison, but dictionaries and culture say “buffalo” is fine—and that’s what the sheriff used. The name stuck since the 1600s, even through near-extinction and colonial eras. Native communities often use both terms, honoring the animal as kin. Texas law only cares about meat labels, not nicknames—and that window-shooting myth? Totally false. At heart, it’s about conservation: numbers are rising, but the species remains near threatened, needing all hands on deck to survive. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/3804f331e2ea3b30