It's true, says Otto Jones, who has owned and managed bison for some 40 years.

"And the proper name for the animal is the American bison, not the buffalo," he adds.

Jones owned a ranch in Colorado with 2,500 head of bison for years, but now manages a herd of about 50 in South Jordan. He enjoys bison because of the their tremendous history and how they have come to symbolize American Indians and the American West.

"They are such a unique animal," Jones says. "Bison represent strength, and despite their size, they are athletic, even elegant and graceful."

Bison are large too - the largest game animal in North America, he notes. A mature bull stands between 6- and 7 feet high at the hump, measures between 8- and 10 feet long and weighs in at about 2,400 pounds.

Bison cows can produce one offspring per year and have been known to keep producing calves at 30 years of age. Within 10 minutes of hitting the ground, a newborn calf is able to stand; within 15 minutes, a newborn is nursing; and within 30 minutes, the calf can trot right alongside its mother for some distance.

"The thing that amazes me most about bison," Jones adds, "is their durability and ability to survive. While other grazing animals would starve to death in a field covered with two- to three inches of snow, bison will dig down as deep as 30 inches to find something to eat. They have also been known to eat the bark from quaking aspen trees."

Otto and his wife, Amy, have amassed quite a collection of bison-related items over the years, some of which are currently on display at the Gale Center of History and Culture in South Jordan. Another local, Dave Maynard, also contributed to the exhibit. He has spent many years making items worn or used by American Indians - items he uses as educational tools in the Boy Scout program.

Jones explains that before the bison were hunted to near-extinction in the 19th century, the North American population was conservatively estimated at 100 million. Today, the number stands at 150,000 to 180,000. He says business mogul Ted Turner owns 40,000 head, the largest private bison herd in the world.

Jones often has many American Indian visitors, who come to be around the bison and perform sacred ceremonies.

"It is a way for them to gain spiritual strength," Jones says.

Check out the exhibit

* The bison exhibit will be on display throughout 2007 at the Gale Center of History and Culture, 10300 S. Beckstead Lane, South Jordan. The center is open Tuesdays through Fridays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, call 801-254-3048 or go online at www.galecenter.org.