Groups mark inaugural National Bison Day on Thurs.

The first National Bison Day is took place on Thursday. The Colorado-based National Bison Association, the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society and the South Dakota-based Intertribal Buffalo Council agreed earlier this year to designate the first Thursday of each November as National Bison Day. The day gave the groups another chance to promote efforts in Congress to designate the bison as the national mammal of the United States. Lawmakers from Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota and Rhode Island have given support to a bill that would make the designation, which would give the animal more recognition rather than any extra protection.