Nearly hunted to extinction in the late 1800s, the North American bison is now the national mammal, thanks to President Obama’s signature to enact HR 2908, the National Bison Legacy Act. The new law declares the woolly, 2,000-pound bison “a historical symbol of the United States” but does not offer special protection for the species. An estimated 30,000 wild buffalo roam the western states and 400,000 are raised as commercial livestock. The Interior Department seal has featured a bison since 1912 and two states have the bison on their flags. The bald eagle has been the national symbol since 1782. Like the bison, it had a brush with extinction.