Wild bison in Florida? Yup...

 

When you think of bison you probably imagine somewhere like Yellowstone National Park with mountains covered in snow, or maybe the rolling plains of the Midwest. But what if I told you we have a population of wild bison roaming around one of Florida’s best state parks? Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park is located just south of Gainesville, and it is one of the most unique and biodiverse environments in the state. The park protects a 23,000-acre section of the Florida Wildlife Corridor and is home to a herd of wild bison and Spanish horses which thrive in the prairie landscape.

To revitalize the state park and return it to what it was like before colonial settlement, 10 bison were introduced to Paynes Prairie in 1975 from the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. Since then, the herd has grown to almost 2,100+/- bison which serve as a reminder of what North America used to look like. 

 

Here's a great article about the Park:
https://www.southernliving.com/paynes-prairie-state-park-8736921