Are bison extinct (read my details before you answer "yes")?

Question

Yes, I know I can go to places like Yellowstone and see large herds of - something - but what am I looking at, exactly? Are the animals in these herds purebred bison or the results from crossbreeding bison with cattle? If they are hybrids, are purebred bison extinct, leaving only the hybrids as the surviving species?

Answer 1

As stated, beefalo are a special hybrid breed started for superior meat production.

http://www.ababeefalo.org/

The true bison are purebred, saved from extinction:

"Fortunately, a small, devoted group of conservationists managed to save a few hundred. The bison we see and enjoy today were raised from these few survivors. "

http://www.nps.gov/archive/wica/bison.htm

Answer 2

Well......some kinds of Bison is extinct such as the Long - horned Bison.....Only two of these species still exist: the American Bison, which is commonly referred to as "buffalo" in American Western culture, and the European Bison, or wisent.

These two varieties are still not completely extinct, they are endangered species....especially the European Bison. Due to the killings (for meat, horns, skin etc) the numbers are reducing.. :( There are as few as 12,000 to 15,000 pure bison in the world now!!

Answer 3

They are pure bred bison or buffalo; the last remnants ofthe great herds that once roamed the prairies.
Cattle have been crossed with bison, and the results are commonly referred to as ' beefalo' when served in fancy restaurants

Answer 4

No, they are not extinct.
The bison in Yellowstone are the real deals and not hybrids.
The hybrids came along twenty years ago or so, and they had to have the bison for that.

Answer 5

I think they are pure bred. The species was only just saved from extinction.