Once near extinction, bison walked the tightrope of survival. If not for the foresight of a few individuals including Theodore Roosevelt, the American bison could have been gone forever. In 1956, 29 bison were brought from Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge in Nebraska and released in the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park – named in honor of the conservationist president. Today, small herds of bison roam in both units of this amazing North Dakota park – examples of the power of conservation. Photo by R. Honeyman, National Park Service.