This Was the World's First Protected Cave

Wind Cave, of Wind Cave National Park fame, was the first cave anywhere in the world to be protected as a National Park. It’s a place chock-full of superlatives: world’s densest cave system, world’s largest collection of “boxwork” features, and the largest remaining mixed-grass prairie in the United States.
Despite these superlatives however, there were those who didn’t believe wind Cave should be a National Park at all. Worthy of protection, yes, but as a National Park? No. Critics argued Wind Cave wasn’t of the same “quality” as other, more popular parks like Yellowstone or Yosemite.
On top of this, the prairie Wind Cave protected was seen as an afterthought. Wind Cave itself was the main attraction and it was the target of most of the criticism. But it was that very prairie which would solidify, not hamper, Wind Cave’s status as a National Park: through the introduction of a bison herd.
At this time, bison were on the verge of extinction and the National Park Service was incorporating a model of management that encouraged wildlife preserves in addition to scenic and recreational amenities. Wind Cave was now at the forefront of the modern National Park model, a decision which might ultimately have saved its National Park status. This video tells that story, enjoy.
Here are two wonderful histories of Wind Cave as well, if you’re into that sort of thing:
www.sdhspress.com/journal/sou...
npshistory.com/publications/wi...
National Park Diaries is now on PATREON. You can support the channel here: / nationalparkdiaries

[@ext93]

I used to go caving in West Virginia with some people I knew in college that all grew up doing it. I was a greenhorn. No guide except the one guy's dad who was an expert at the local caves. Saw some of the most amazing formations in caves. Some would be just on some guys cow pasture in the middle of nowhere. Coolest experiences ever, doing stuff like going into a cave with a stream running into the entrance, or climbing through a tiny passage that opens into a church sized room. The best thing ever was deep down in a cave with many crystalline features there was a tiny little crawl space off of the main tunnel I was able to fit through. It went about 10 feet in length then became a vertical room about 2ft in diameter going up 75 feet or so. It was completely crystalline and only 1 person could fit in it at once. It felt like a shrine created by God, unbelievable. I left my phone in the car so I didn't get any pictures unfortunately.

[@tyler1671]

I know right where your talking about

[@emachine138]

You got touched by that man’s dad in the cave didn’t you

[@keenanwengert423]

where is this cave located?

[@tyler1671]

@@keenanwengert423 in Uranus west Virginia

[@keenanwengert423]

@@tyler1671 funniest reply I've ever seen.😑

[@RangerMcFriendly]

Worked there in 2005/2006 and 2019. An amazing place with some of the best staff I have ever worked with! I love Wind Cave NP.

[@kevinmunger1842]

70s band trip to Wind Cave.

[@lukew7252]

Having worked there for a season, I can atest to just how awesome the cave is! It was really awesome when you had to go down without a tour group (and instead as an employee); it's a totally different experience in the absence of a dozen-and-a-half other people!

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Sounds like a blast. Thanks for helping to protect our parks also!

[@Ranstone]

"in the absence of a dozen-and-a-half other people" Did the dozen tourists have to carry the half a tourist, or did the half-person have a wheelchair or something? :P

[@Ranstone]

@Daniel Paulson r/woosh, my dear friend. :P

[@gregbaehring1656]

@Daniel Paulson My father was a stone Mason ,well he did it all. I had a small collection of heart's and lungs , which like sandstone and the heart's heavy and hard.

[@SAN-bi2vm]

@@Ranstone boomer moment lol

[@jonnymoka]

Dude I cannot get enough of your material

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Glad you're enjoying it, thanks for watching!

[@colinz226]

I like how you brush past the underwater caves, aka Blue Holes, aka DEATH TRAPS

[@jacobgates1986]

At timestamp 4:35, I wouldn't say sadly, instead it's a win for the Lakota tribe. I'm a Pueblo native from Ohkay Owingeh tribe in NM and We too have a similar creation story very similar to the Lakota, so thanks for the info.

[@shaggyelwood1629]

Not being callous, but the Lakota may have gotten it from another tribe. They were not the first people in the Black Hills.

[@jacobgates1986]

@@shaggyelwood1629 what tribe was there before? And what evidence supports that your callous comment? Lol I would say that part of the original lands fell back and forth between tribes, by tribal battles for those lands. And it's especially hard to really know what tribe was their 1st,b because most facts twisted from word of mouth or stories.

[@ReignCharger]

@@shaggyelwood1629 We don't claim that the Black Hills are JUST ours. In our relationship with the occupying United States, it is. However, we wouldn't keep out the numerous other tribal relatives who the hills are also important to.

[@shaggyelwood1629]

@@ReignCharger I like your statement and if things went a specific way I hope it would be true. Unfortunately for everyone it is not historically true.

[@ReignCharger]

@@shaggyelwood1629 One of the numerous good things about Natives in the modern day is that we are not purely defined by our historical interactions with each other (which were far more often peaceful than warfare) and can operate in our current context. I don't know of any Lakota, Dakota or Nakota people who hold desires to gatekeep the Kiowa, Commanche, Cheyenne, Crow, Pawnee, Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara, Nimipu from accessing the Black Hills.

[@robbabcock_]

Wind cave really is a remarkable place! Taking a candlelight tour is a lot of fun if they still offer them.

[@michaelpessin7233]

One of my favorite Cave videos...! Well done !

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Thanks so much for your support Michael! I really appreciate it!

[@GaiaCarney]

Great video, National Park Diaries 🕊 thanks for sharing

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Thanks for watching!

[@Isaac_L..]

I've gotten really into caving in the last year. I've joined the Paha Sapa Grotto which does most of the survey in the black hills. So far I've done 12 and 14 hour Wind Cave survey trips. Both were a blast and we're about 3.5 hours of travel one way. The coolest room I've seen in the cave so far is Southern Comfort, but I haven't been out to the lakes yet. And apparently, back when the cave was only known to be 20 miles, they would let people wander around without a guide and they told people that everything looped back to the main trail. If anyone is interested in the exploration of wind cave, I'll have some links to relevant videos below.

[@Isaac_L..]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqClYZyZopqBm8U kzbin.info/www/bejne/l36lf5l-n7mEldE

[@joebone3151]

Dope I've been hoping to join the military. Once I'm done with that caving is on my list. Maybe one day we'll meet eachother in person.

[@alexrogers777]

Banger. Had no idea this park even existed but it sounds real cool

[@broskiezISMYGAMERTAG]

Dude keep up the content! You are about to gain so many new viewers, I can feel it!

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Thanks Matt, will do!

[@djolley61]

I visited there with my family back in 2000. Did not realize it was so big.

[@NationalParkWild]

Very nice video! I got to visit Wind Cave last fall and very much enjoyed the intricate features. Thank you for sharing.

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Thanks for watching!

[@ActionAdventureTwins]

very interesting and informative video about a seriously cool place! we have to visit it someday we really want to see those boxwork formations

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Glad you liked it, enjoy Wind Cave!

[@biokosmos]

we need more national parls around the world!

[@michaelcronnon8463]

I was fixing ask you if y’all seen this yet

[@dilnozanoralieva136]

@@biokosmos n c

[@TravelAnthony]

I love caves, but living in Florida 98% are underwater

[@coryhobbs5386]

Combining two fears, caves, and sharks

[@WyomingTraveler]

I visited wind cave and Jewel cave when I lived in Rapid City many years ago. Happy to see you did a video on one of them. What about the other one? How old is the national Park service manager of the Buffalo herd sense there are no predators to keep the number down?

[@jakesterrett3755]

Ive been to wind cave, on a road trip with my friends family from Washington state to see Mt. Rushmore, I was around twelve at the time (28 as of writing) and this was my favorite part of the trip! I Remember seeing the boxwork formations and checking out the exact hole that was said to have blown hats off of passerby's. Really cool place that I Didn't appreciate fully at the time. Glad to know it has received NP status, perhaps I should go back one day..

[@NationalParkDiaries]

That's a great story, I love hearing of other people's experiences in the parks. Thanks for sharing!

[@psychlops924]

Wow this channel has blown up. I think it had like 900k views when it came in to my feed a week ago. Now it’s nearly 1.8m views, and that’s thanks to absolute quality content like this. Newly subscribed, already paying off 👍

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Thanks, I really appreciate that. I'm glad people are liking my park stories!

[@blaze_blaster4203]

You should really make your videos to be also podcast because when I watch your videos I like the visuals but I mostly use your videos for background noise while I work, I'm still listening and learning at the same time as I work.👍keep up the vids, love em.

[@NationalParkDiaries]

That's a good idea. I've thought about it before, but haven't looked into it too much yet. I'll keep it in mind though, thanks for the suggestion and thanks for watching.

[@thelucidcanoe1549]

@@NationalParkDiaries I would also like to petition towards something like that! An NPD podcast would fit perfectly into my life n schedule

[@psychlops924]

Seems like an idea that might justify a Patreon… just sayin 😁

[@tacticalultimatum]

I love your channel, glad to be here before it blows up

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Welcome!

[@adventurecreations3214]

Nicely done. I enjoyed your format.

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Thanks so much!

[@RK-cj4oc]

Man. I found your channel today and i freaking watched ALL your vids today i cannot get enough of this. More. Moreeee

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Welcome to the channel! Thanks for your support, more park stories coming soon!

[@jacktastick]

This channel is so cool. Thanks for the content

[@NationalParkDiaries]

You bet, thanks for being here!

[@Ryan_the_dawg]

Amazing video, I love seeing these beautiful formations and appreciate all the hard work and suffering that went into providing this stuff for us to gaze at in wonderment and appreciation.

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Thank you! I agree, these places are incredible and I love learning about (and sharing with you all) the hard work and dedication that went into protecting them.

[@justscrobbler1897]

Great video yet again, this wasn't a park I'd known about before today. Will add it to my list if I ever make it back to the States.

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Thanks!

[@Iconoplastt]

Great stuff, I love all things nature, great channel too

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Thanks!

[@oouskawizard]

So glad to see this channel starting to blow up. I consider myself a knowledgeable national parks guy and you consistently teach me so many new things and ways to appreciate our parks. Keep up the good work and I hope this community continues to grow !

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Much appreciated! Thanks for being here and supporting the channel. This is a great community and I'm excited to watch it keep growing also!

[@thepretzel2]

I went there this past Summer. It was on a 5-stop trip to, in order, Badlands, Wind Cave, Black Elk Peak, White Butte, and Theodore Roosevelt NP. Of those stops, I'd place this as the 2nd best stop, only being beat by Badlands as I absolutely love good scramble hikes.

[@SequoiaElisabeth]

This is the best video of yours I have seen yet. Nice Job. My parents were married in Mammoth Cave, back in the early 50's. I have been to Carlsbad many times. I have yet to see this cave though and it is now on my list of places to visit soon.

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Thank you, much appreciated! Mammoth Cave would be quite the wedding venue!

[@LionSinGamin]

I listen/watch your videos while working and relaxing at home. You have helped me in some dark times. Keep doing the amazing work that you do! 💕

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Hey Nick, so glad to hear that. I'm glad I could help in some small way and I wish you all the best. I'll keep making them if you keep watching!

[@barrymccockiner6641]

It took me forever just to figure out what state this is in...

[@joannabell9294]

Colorado

[@barrymccockiner6641]

@Joanna Bell Actually, South Dakota. Thanks though...

[@joannabell9294]

@@barrymccockiner6641 well thank you! I thought I had been there

[@joannabell9294]

@@barrymccockiner6641 cave of the winds is in Colorado! This is another cave my bad

[@lavapix]

Caves are so interesting. Lots of lava tubes to explore over here on the Big Island of Hawaii. I've made long videos of one 4.5 miles long system. But I don't give away their location so as to help keep them in their raw natural state. Your park videos are very interesting. I traveled to nearly all of them back in the 1980s. Keep up the great work.

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Totally agreed on caves. It's amazing to me the diversity and sheer scale of some of these places. Thanks for watching!

[@sunnygirlishappy]

Another great 👍 video, Cameron. We went to the caves at Ruby falls 57 years ago !!!!!. Amazing

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Thanks!

[@michaelevans6599]

Carlsbad Caverns in northern New Mexico are the coolest caverns to visit, and you can bring granma and the children. It has an elevator down to 750 feet below grownd level.

[@baltazard133T]

Soooo Mammoth cave kind of sucks now that it has become so heavily commercialized. The best cave in that area is still onyx cave which is like 15 or 20 miles down the road from Mammoth. Has some of the best stalactite, stalagmite, Crystal and rock formations you will ever see, some of the coolest passages to traverse with some truly all inspiring views into pits that are completely void of light at the bottom that look like they reach to the center of the earth. Highly recommend visiting onyx cave near mammoth cave!

[@chris432t6]

Thank you. I enjoyed this bit of history.

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching!

[@chelin7023]

Another destination in my bucket list. Thank you!

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Thanks for watching! I'm sure you'll love it if you visit!

[@dycorty9182]

I'm headed to South Dakota in August, and I'm going to have to give the cave (and the bison!) a visit!! Thanks for sharing!

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Thanks for watching, enjoy Wind Cave!

[@joannabell9294]

Thank you. I have a t shirt from my visit there. Kinda scary caves thank you for your content. I haven’t made it to arches yet and there is the garden of eden there, hopefully make it there this summer

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Thanks as always Joanna! Enjoy Arches!

[@Faroutamazingadventures]

Thanks for the info!! I’m planning to visit Wind Cave!

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Enjoy your visit!

[@rhobot75]

That was a gutting moment- the picture with the mountain of bison dead.

[@NationalParkDiaries]

So sad we used to treat our wildlife that way...

[@forest6702]

super cool, had no idea about this place

[@owenfp5481]

Check out a lady named Dr. Hazel Barton. She has been doing some amazing research in wind cave and many others caves on extremophile microorganisms

[@PerspectiveEngineer]

I liked and subscribed

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Welcome to the community!

[@luisandreu3249]

I would love if you could do a video on the Yunque in Puerto Rico

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Already on the list! I'll get to it at some point

[@shawnkramer37]

I was a member of Front Range Grotto and did at least 10 survey trips to Wind. Back then the cave was about 95 miles and growing after each trip. Many other grottos worked on the project too. It is a dirty, sandy, clothes ripping dry cave with almost no water. But due to the maze like quality we broke through to virgin passage often. The various teams I surveyed with discovered and mapped about 2.5 miles of new passage. We once encountered an earthquake while surveying Farley’s Freeway and squeezed through an 8.5” velco-like squeeze at the bottom of Coors Pitt, (0n the BER survey). I haven’t been back since 2003 and live in Thailand now. Good caves here too but watch out for flooding.

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Sounds exciting! I can't see myself venturing too far into caves like that, even for research purposes. I'm happy to stick with the tours lol. But, I massively appreciate people like you who contribute to our understanding of these wonderful places!

[@stilhopefulmccall8832]

There's a place in Idaho called kuna caves and it drops down..the entrance if I remember correctly at least 50 ft it's beautiful in there would love to go back someday

[@mrexists5400]

I've been here! after visiting badlands national park. both worth a trip

[@Wizardboz]

This video is awesome

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Thank you!

[@jaminblizz]

I remember going to jewel cave because wind cave was closed, i cant recall why but i think it was in part of protecting the cave. Thats how dedicated they are to protecting it.

[@mostlyorchids]

I'm so glad the cave had nothing of value to extractive companies or we would not be able to enjoy it today.

[@tsbrownie]

Is this the Wind Cave in South Dakota?

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Yep!

[@brianlanders5306]

I think there's one in Missouri also.

[@ENRGG]

Swear i learn something new everyday on this app

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Glad I could help!

[@TheRealUnknown01]

At mammoth cave the deer will walk up to you,I can almost GUARANTEE on a not so busy day when you pull up the the visitors center you'll see a few does hanging around the entrance of the parking lot, everytime I've gone over the last few years they're there :)

[@wegngis]

Wind Cave is truly incredible.

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Agreed!

[@camping-k]

동굴 규모가 엄청나게 크군요.... 전 무서워서 못들어갈듯 ^^ 영상 잘봤어요.

[@R3TR0J4N]

i often wish that preservation and giving importance to history was given more earlier than Herodotus

[@kennethtreasures3548]

This cave is between hot springs and Custer South Dakota .....west of Custer is also Jewel Cave I highly recommend you go see that one also

[@meganstahlberger608]

Thanks!

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Thank you!

[@amandadonegan2137]

Most caves in History had local protection and many were Sacred.

[@CleanupKrew7]

You deserve a lot more subscribers than what you have. Great video!

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Thanks, much appreciated!

[@jatz1689]

I can’t not think about the Mystery Flesh Pit whenever I watch this lol.

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Great park lol

[@annettebailey2041]

Very incredible and had no idea that the cave can breathe

[@NationalParkDiaries]

It's pretty crazy!

[@Tom-qt9sc]

As someone who worked at Jewel Cave NM, Wind Cave is cool but they're only the second longest cave in Custer County, SD

[@NationalParkDiaries]

I love the various cave rivalries throughout the country 😂

[@Tom-qt9sc]

@@NationalParkDiaries Love your work and a Jewel Cave video would be awesome!

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Thanks so much! I'd love to do a Jewel Cave video at some point!

[@haydenjory3144]

Cavussy

[@MaestroAlvis]

1:53 ok well now it feels like you lied to me. Am I paying for the hole in the ground or the grass on top?

[@freekingawwsome]

@National Park Diaries I'm also a Tom and have a cave that is bottom-less and yet wonder what happens to it if they knew

[@Mike-tg7dj]

Been there, seen it, crawled through it, didn't get lost. I did see a bull bison step out of the forest in Custer State Park.Nice video, I did not know that they almost lost NP status. That would have been sad, and to have a prairie on top of everything. Thanks

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Thanks for watching!

[@raphlvlogs271]

how do cave systems become so complex?

[@hoosiernick]

A great video. Explains a lot of history. Nick NSS10694 LF

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Thank you!

[@fadihairstylist]

🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

[@1WashingtonDc]

Interesting

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Thanks!

[@schweedies4597]

Great story. Would've liked to hear a bit more about the native legends of the cave but I guess that wasn't the focal point here. Good video

[@RangerMcFriendly]

When I worked there the staff had just uploaded the story of the Lakota’s emergence from the Cave to the website as told by Sina Bear Eagle. Google “The Lakota Emergence Story” and click the first link (from the NPS). (KZbin is being weird with comments now so sorry if this comes with multiple edits).

[@RangerMcFriendly]

@UCBHlKTJFiZD9_L87I-siy1A you beat me my fellow Ranger. Haha. Which season were you there?

[@lukew7252]

@@RangerMcFriendly worked there in Summer '21! Was with the maintenance division, but still picked up on a lot of the interpretive stuff!

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Thanks for watching! You can learn more about the Lakota emergence story here: www.nps.gov/wica/learn/historyculture/the-lakota-emergence-story.htm

[@miyaiun4723]

Hi. Check out David Little Elk channel about Lakota star knowledge on KZbin. He tells about many real things. And he talks about the salvation of people by going deep underneath the Earth while on top of it, everything hâd changed.

[@Zuniga562]

You should do a video on the rockefellers donating land to the national parks!

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Definitely on my list!

[@ac.6667]

The first comment I read is cavussy , thanks for the vid

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Thanks for watching!

[@johnnycastaway]

9.29 bison pooooop

[@karlynnelangerak4549]

I'd want to hear more about the native lore.

[@NationalParkDiaries]

The Park Service has a great video on it here: www.nps.gov/wica/learn/historyculture/the-lakota-emergence-story.htm

[@karlynnelangerak4549]

@@NationalParkDiaries oh thank you very much. Really liked you video.

[@NationalParkDiaries]

@@karlynnelangerak4549 thank you!

[@lukebieniek9069]

Secretary of the interior?!¿¡ Ha ha hah

[@briankleinschmidt3664]

Fairy Palace? I thought that was in Cincinnati.

[@kaliprc]

Already knew where this story was going before it even began.... natives don’t have lies

[@miyaiun4723]

Hi. Yes, most people believe that myths or ancient stories are just that. But they tell of real events.

[@ToyvideosKh]

Hello everyone 👋🇰🇭

[@deathstarraider7156]

I wonder if Kenny Veach M cave was like this one.

[@ianharrington3546]

Are there many places that should have been parks but got bought up before they could

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Niagara Falls comes to mind. It's technically part of a State Park now, but was heavily commercialized and exploited before that. The early days of Yosemite Valley were like that as well. Ken Burns talks about both of those in his National Park documentary.

[@egymario]

10 Of The World's Funniest One Liners ever! 1. IRS: We've got what it takes to take what you have got. 2. I didn't fight my way to the top of the food chain to be a vegetarian. 3. They told me I was gullible...and I believed them. 4. He who laughs last thinks slowest. 5. The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese. 6. A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory. 7. If ignorance is bliss, then tourists are in a constant state of euphoria. 8. Be nice to your kids. They'll choose your nursing home. 9. I've had amnesia as long as I can remember. 10. I just let my mind wander, and it didn't come back. Editorial: Maybe the world's most thought-provoking one-liner "Eat right. Stay fit. Die anyway." It's sad but true -- no matter what you do, you will die. This is because you have sinned against God. Let's see if that's true: Have you ever lied (even once)? Ever stolen (anything)? Jesus said, "Whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her, has committed adultery already with her in his heart." Ever looked with lust? If you have said "Yes" to these three questions, by your own admission, you are a lying, thieving, adulterer at heart; and we've only looked at three of the Ten Commandments. How will you do on Judgment Day? Will you be innocent or guilty? You know that you will be guilty, and end up in Hell. That's not God's will. He provided a way for you to be forgiven. He sent His Son to take your punishment: "God commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Jesus then rose from the dead and defeated death. God promises everlasting life to all those who confess and forsake their sins, and trust in Jesus Christ. Please do that today . . . you may not have tomorrow. See John 14:21 for a wonderful promise. Then read the Bible daily and obey what you read. God will never let you down.Visit needgod.com

[@santoast24]

Sure Wind Cave is great, but have you ever tried garlic bread?

[@vadimblyat7482]

Wait this video is cap, the 1st protective cave is the came in Slovenia, Pivka

[@webdrude]

Why does this remind me of Mystery Flesh Pit National Park?

[@LoLFilmStudios]

It maybe called the densest but it’s also the least dense.

[@ralphsammis7330]

Hey! Very unclear about WHERE this Nat. Park is in the video!

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Wind Cave is in South Dakota!

[@madudeliets8924]

Anyone else out after the 3rd use of the word suporritave in 2 minutes.

[@drzkillz7642]

The Mystery Flesh Pit is old news

[@ltcorsa2519]

Has anyone been to lassen volcanic national park?

[@rockfish1430]

It shuld be A Nashville Park.....

[@ReignCharger]

It's all Lakota land as well.

[@leigh9419]

it's a portal to the spirit world in the Lakota creation story

[@NationalParkDiaries]

Right! Talked about that in the video!

[@miyaiun4723]

Check out David Little Elk channel on KZbin. Its not a portal, it was a place where they could survive whilst on the surface everything was remodeled. If you check his channel you will know why I wrote what I wrote.

[@pkij140]

I can't imagine the beauty of America before Europeans.

[@06racing]

8:26 Bison poop.

[@hdhhhdhhdheh6011]

These people sure do know how to turn 1 minute of content into 10 minutes of content so that they can sit on their ass and spy on people in their house and make their living

[@angelmujahid2233]

Why was the bison going extinct? For food?

[@NationalParkDiaries]

There were a couple reasons, including suppression of Native American populations. Here is a good Atlantic article on the subject: www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2016/05/the-buffalo-killers/482349/ The Park Service also has a page on several other reasons: www.nps.gov/articles/000/what-happened-to-the-bison.htm