Why do bison body-slam trees?

0:00SPEAKER_13:This episode is part of the series Wild Critters USA, a collaboration between Orbit PBS Nature and the National Wildlife Federation.

0:14SPEAKER_08:Well Hank, welcome back to our Wildlife Neighborhood Tour. Wild Critters USA. This summer we're traveling across America to meet some of our wild neighbors. Last time, we visited the Mojave Desert to get to know a special tortoise. Today we're visiting a prairie up in the state of Montana. Whoa. It is so wide open out here. I can see for miles and miles. That is a lot of grass. No, seriously, look at all this grass. You know what I'm thinking, Hank?

0:46SPEAKER_08:This might be the world's biggest soccer field. Okay, good point. There's no goals or plates or soccer balls. But can you imagine mowing this thing? We'd need 20 lawnmowers. No 50 lawnmowers. No 100 lawnmowers. But wait a second. If nobody is mowing all this grass, why doesn't it get even taller? And why aren't there a bunch of trees out here? Well, it turns out the prairie has its own lawnmowers. They're furry, they're hungry, and they weigh as much as a small car.

1:26SPEAKER_08:Today, we're meeting one of America's most famous wild neighbors, the American bison.

1:35SPEAKER_14:My question is why do buffaloes have horns?

1:40SPEAKER_04:My question is, what is the predator of the American bison?

1:44SPEAKER_07:Why do bisons leave unherds and how big are their herds?

1:50SPEAKER_08:And to help us out, we found an awesome guest. His name is Dr. Andy, and he's a scientist at the Smithsonian National Zoo. But first, let's go meet a new friend. Alright, orbiters! We are here with a brand new friend today. Welcome to orbit, Luna.

2:08SPEAKER_14:I'm so excited to be here.

2:10SPEAKER_08:Miss Luna, can you tell us about yourself?

2:13SPEAKER_14:My name is Luna from New York, and I'm in first grade. I live with mommy, daddy, two cats. I enjoy cuddling with my cats and snacking and playing softball.

2:23SPEAKER_08:What are your cats' names?

2:24SPEAKER_14:Nala and Simba.

2:25SPEAKER_08:And tell us about Nala and Simba.

2:28SPEAKER_14:Nala is black and white. Simba ha is gray, black, white.

2:34SPEAKER_08:Yeah. And what are their personalities like? Are they the same or are they very different?

2:39SPEAKER_14:Simba's a kitten, so she loves to play with me. Whatever. Whatever whenever she gets to play, she plays with my legs. And Nala's more like a cuddly cat.

2:50SPEAKER_08:And does Simba scratch her legs or does she scratch things sometimes?

2:53SPEAKER_14:She she bites my legs, she scratches me. I have a bunch of scratches from Simba.

2:58SPEAKER_08:But we still love Simba, even though she bites and scratches.

3:01SPEAKER_14:Yeah.

3:02SPEAKER_08:Well, hey, tell us about what is something that you are curious about in life.

3:07SPEAKER_14:Why do cows too spit rechew? And how does it help them?

3:14SPEAKER_08:Interesting.

3:15SPEAKER_14:I have no idea why.

3:17SPEAKER_08:You have no idea why. We're gonna have to produce an episode about cows.

3:21SPEAKER_14:Yep.

3:22SPEAKER_08:Yeah. And why are cows interesting to you?

3:25SPEAKER_14:Because they do that.

3:26SPEAKER_08:Because of the chewing thing?

3:28SPEAKER_14:Yeah.

3:28SPEAKER_08:That sounds like a good project to investigate. Maybe you can do that. Maybe our listening families can do that too. They can learn together about why do cows chew and then swallow and then re-chew their food.

3:39SPEAKER_14:Yeah.

3:40SPEAKER_08:It sounds kinda yucky to me.

3:42SPEAKER_14:That's what many grass eater animals do.

3:45SPEAKER_08:Oh, interesting.

3:46SPEAKER_14:Maybe it helps their digestive system.

3:49SPEAKER_08:That is a great hypothesis. You're probably right. It probably makes it easier for them to digest their food.

3:55SPEAKER_14:Yeah. I bet koalas don't do that. Koalas are too cute to do that. Koalas too cute to do it.

4:03SPEAKER_08:Koalas only do cute things. They don't do weird things like cows.

4:06SPEAKER_14:Yeah.

4:07SPEAKER_08:Well, hey, Miss Luna, today we are gonna talk about the American bison. That's another really big plant-eating animal. Imagine you had one of these bison superpowers. Which one would you choose? What are some of the bison superpowers?

4:23SPEAKER_14:Super strength, super thick fur to live in cold weather, horns to fight off predators, and live in a huge herd with all your family and friends.

4:32SPEAKER_08:Okay, so families, you can pause the episode here. Would you rather have super strength, super thick fur for living in the cold weather, horns to fight off predators, or live in a huge herd with all your family and friends? Alright, Miss Luna, what is your answer to this?

4:49SPEAKER_14:I would rather live in a huge herd because you'd get to be with all your family and friends. But also, super strength is pretty cool because you can pick up dirt, make it into a ball, and then have a dirt fight instead of a snowball fight.

5:07SPEAKER_08:Would you do that with your friends that also have super strength in the very large bison herd?

5:12SPEAKER_14:Yes. I would throw it at them. Or we can also throw those at predators so that they have dirt on their eye, then then they won't see us, so we can run away.

5:26SPEAKER_08:That's right. All those all those wolves and grizzly bears, they're gonna be like, wow, that that one bison over there keeps throwing dirt balls at us. Are there things that you are interested about American bison, Miss Luna, that we might learn in this episode?

5:40SPEAKER_14:Maybe.

5:41SPEAKER_08:Or maybe lots of things.

5:43SPEAKER_14:How big they are and how scientists are working to take care of these big cute animals. I don't know why I call every animal that is big cute.

5:51SPEAKER_08:They are very cute. I totally agree with you. Miss Luna, today's guest is Dr. Andy from the Smithsonian National Zoo.

6:01SPEAKER_14:Hey Doctor, what do you do for work?

6:04SPEAKER_01:Yeah, hi orbiters. I am Andy Boyce. I am a research ecologist for the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. I actually work out here in the grasslands of Montana studying the conservation of grassland ecosystems and all the animals that live in it.

6:20SPEAKER_08:Hey, Mr. Andy, our friend Sophia has a question about your job.

6:23SPEAKER_15:Hello, my name is Sophia. I live in Guadalajara, Mexico, and my question is where is the Smithsonian?

6:35SPEAKER_01:Uh the Smithsonian is the world's largest network of museums and research institutions. Most people know about the Smithsonian from Washington, D.C. We have a bunch of museums like Air and Space and the Museum of Natural History, and even the National Zoo itself in Washington, DC. But the Smithsonian is also a big network of scientists who study conservation and science problems all over the world.

6:58SPEAKER_08:Hey Luna, are you ready to learn about American bison?

7:02SPEAKER_14:Yes, let's do it!

7:03SPEAKER_08:Alright, here we go. Hey parents. If your curious orbiters want to submit questions for upcoming episodes, just visit the link we'll leave in the show notes. We notify families of upcoming episodes so that they can let us know what their little ones want to learn. Alright, you orbiters are ready to start learning.

7:26SPEAKER_09:Hi Orbit, my name is Igorite Mostajo. I'm 10 years old. I live in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, and my question is, what is uh American Bison? Hi, my name is Victoria.

7:41SPEAKER_14:I live in Tijuana, Mexico. And my question is, what is the difference between Alaskan bison and American bison?

7:54SPEAKER_10:Hello or beat, my name is Antonella. My question is, what do you like American bison? Bye.

8:07SPEAKER_08:So we want to know what are bison and if there are different types of bison.

8:12SPEAKER_01:Thank you so much for the question. So American bison is a species of grazing mammal native to North America. Within American bison, there are two different subspecies, so closely related animals, the plains bison and the wood bison. They're really similar, but wood bison live farther north in areas with some trees, and plains bison live in the grasslands in the middle of the North American continent.

8:35SPEAKER_08:Hey orbiters, do you remember what a mammal is? We talked about it on a previous episode, so you're probably experts. Let's make it a quiz. Shout out your answers to each of these. First, do mammals have fur or feathers? What do their babies drink from their mothers? Are they warm-blooded or cold-blooded? And a bonus, are humans mammals or reptiles? Alright, if you said mammals have fur, drink milk from their mothers, and are warm-blooded, which means they keep a constant body temperature, you're right.

9:09SPEAKER_08:And we humans are mammals, just like bison, but smaller and with less hair, and we eat a lot less grass. Hey, Dr. Andy, what makes bison different from other animals like buffaloes?

9:19SPEAKER_01:Bison and buffalo can actually mean the exact same thing. In fact, in Native American communities throughout North America, buffalo is actually the more common name than bison.

9:30SPEAKER_05:Hello, I'm Mylam. I'm seven years old and I live in Houston, Texas. And my question is, where do American bisons live? Bye.

9:38SPEAKER_01:Yeah, thanks, Mylam, for the question. American bison used to live almost everywhere in North America, from Florida all the way up to Alaska. Now, bison mostly live on grasslands, also known as prairies, and the Great Plains in the center of the continent. The most famous herd is in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and Montana, but small herds exist all over North America from Mexico to Canada.

9:59SPEAKER_08:All this talk about grasslands reminds me of a question we received from Damica.

10:04SPEAKER_12:Hello, Orbit. My name is Damita. I am nine years old. I live in Venezuela. And I want to know is the grassland the same thing that grows in my yard or in the park? Thank you, goodbye.

10:17SPEAKER_08:We brought this question to our friend David Mizajewski. Mr. David is a science advisor for Ranger Rick magazine from the National Wildlife Federation and is helping us out with this wild critter series. Hey Mr. David, are yards and parks also grasslands?

10:31SPEAKER_00:Great question, Damika. Grass does grow in people's yards and in parks, but it's not the same thing as a grassland. Grasslands are big open spaces in nature where lots of different kinds of grasses grow, along with all sorts of wildflowers and other plants. And all those different kinds of plants provide food and places to hide and nesting spots for birds and bees and butterflies and lots of other wildlife. Sometimes even big wildlife, like bison, too.

10:55SPEAKER_00:The grass that grows in people's yards and parks is usually just one kind of grass, and it's usually mown down short into a lawn, which isn't really a natural environment and it doesn't help out the wildlife.

11:07SPEAKER_08:Thank you, Mr. David. Hey parents. If you'd like to continue learning about grasslands, Ranger Rick magazine has lots of great wildlife resources for families. I'll leave a link in the show notes. Let's keep getting to know these giants of the grasslands.

11:25SPEAKER_14:Hello, my name is Josh, and I'm four years old and I live from Houston, Texas. My question is why do buffaloes have have horns?

11:36SPEAKER_04:My name is Amelia. I'm 10 years old and I'm from Ursa. My question is: what is the predator of the American bison?

11:45SPEAKER_01:Yeah, thanks, Josh. Uh, bison have horns for two primary reasons, and both males and females have them. The first, big one, is to defend against predators like wolves, and grizzly bears. Second is for males to fight and compete against each other for females. And Amelia asked about predators.

12:03SPEAKER_08:Do you know what a predator is, orbiters? A predator is an animal that hunts, catches, and eats other animals to get energy and survive. Kinda crazy to think that an animal as big as a bison has to worry about predators. Can you tell us more, Dr.

12:18SPEAKER_01:Andy? Yeah, thanks for the question, Amelia. So wolves and grizzly bears are the primary predators of bison. We don't necessarily think of bears and wolves as living in grasslands, but they used to roam the prairies right alongside bison. And in fact, when Lewis and Clark were exploring the western US, they encountered grizzly bears and wolves on the prairie almost every day.

12:38SPEAKER_08:Now that sounds super scary. Imagine that, orbiters. Lewis and Clark were two explorers who traveled across the continent in search of a path to the Pacific Ocean. And along the way, they saw lots of new things, including huge herds of bison and massive grizzly bears, including some grizzly bears that were not too happy to see a bunch of humans walking around their territory.

13:03SPEAKER_02:Hi, I'm Eliza. I'm nine years old, and I live in Ecuador, and my question is, how big come can be the bison's bite?

13:16SPEAKER_08:Okay, orbiters, what's your hypothesis? If a full-grown man weighs 180 pounds or 80 kilograms, how many pounds or kilograms do you think a bison weighs? Shout out your guests.

13:31SPEAKER_01:Thanks, Eliza. Bison can be absolutely massive. So male bison can get up to about 2,500 pounds, and females about half that size. That's about as heavy as your average car. You can kind of think about them as like really strong cows, cows that have been lifting weights.

13:49SPEAKER_08:2,500 pounds? That's more than 1,100 kilograms. And that's around 13 full grown men. Whoa. Now, a really important question from our curious friend, Juliana.

14:03SPEAKER_13:Hi, I'm Juliana. I'm the Kito Equator. And my question is, why Davidson's eat? Bye!

14:15SPEAKER_01:Yeah, thanks, Juliana. Bison eat all sorts of plants, from flowers to even cactus, but their favorite food is native grass. We'll learn more about why this is important soon.

14:27SPEAKER_06:My name is Emily. I am nine years old. I live in Neurochell. My question is, how long is an American bison's lifespan?

14:38SPEAKER_01:Yeah, thanks, Emily. Bison can live up to about 25 years in captivity, but a wild bicycle typically lives somewhere between 10 to 15 years. That number is higher for females who tend to live a little bit longer, and lower for males who are out there battling against each other during every breeding season.

14:54SPEAKER_08:Alright, orbiters, we're about to start learning about one of the most incredible, awe-inspiring things about American bison. Their herds. But first, let's pause for a mystery sound. You can wiggle around and move while you listen and think about what the sound is. I'll give you a hint. What do you think it is? Stick around to the end for the answer. Okay, let's start learning about these amazing herds.

15:31SPEAKER_07:Hi, my name is L. I have six years, and my question is why do bisons live on herds and how big are their herds?

15:45SPEAKER_01:So it's a really good question, Leo. So bison are social animals just like humans. You know, they they just they like being around each other. Living in big herds can have important advantages like protection from predators, having a helping hand or hoof to raise your baby bison, or learning from older bison about where to go to find good food and water. Before 1800, there were somewhere between 30 and 60 million bison roaming North America. There are stories from explorers and Native Americans of herds that were so huge that they stretched all the way to the horizon, and the ground literally shook as they passed.

16:25SPEAKER_08:Can you imagine that, Hank? It's kind of like an earthquake, but furrier and with horns, and probably lots and lots of bison poo.

16:34SPEAKER_01:Nowadays, herds of bison are a lot smaller. The typical conservation herd of bison is between a hundred and a thousand animals, with some of the biggest herds in national parks like Yellowstone or on conservation lands like American Prairie in Montana.

16:48SPEAKER_08:Our episode co-host Luna sent in a super interesting question for today's episode.

16:53SPEAKER_14:Hi, my question is what's the role in the ecosystem?

17:00SPEAKER_01:Yeah, thanks, Luna. So without grazing animals like bison, grasslands literally wouldn't exist. If they're left alone and not grazed by animals by bison, over time they would gradually turn into forests. So bison have the power to create and maintain grassland ecosystems themselves. They also graze certain areas really heavily, creating habitat for animals that like short grass. And at the same time, they leave other areas alone, giving places for animals to live that like tall, dense patches of grass.

17:29SPEAKER_01:Without them, grasslands would look the same everywhere and wouldn't be home to as many species of animals. There are a million other roles that bison play in the ecosystem too. Their wallows, places where they take dust baths, can create small ponds for amphibians like salamanders and toads. Their hair, which is really dense and really cozy and warm, is used by birds to line their nests. And of course, they're an important source of food for predators like wolves and bears.

17:54SPEAKER_01:I asked Dr.

17:55SPEAKER_08:Randy how they prevent grasslands from turning into forests. He gave me a very surprising answer.

18:01SPEAKER_01:A bison, especially during the summer, is like one of the itchiest animals on the planet. They are constantly scratching against things, rubbing against things, and dustbaiting.

18:10SPEAKER_08:You know, when Hank has an itch he can't reach, he might roll around in the grass or walk over to me and I scratch it for him. That's right, Hank. Right on that tricky spot on your back. But I can't scratch a bison's back. So you have hundreds or thousands of huge, itchy bison the size of cars, walking around looking for things to scratch their backs. And what do they find? At the edge of the forest, there are young pine trees that are just starting to grow.

18:36SPEAKER_01:And those tend to make amazing scratching posts for bison. So they are like body slamming these things constantly, which prevents that encroachment of trees onto grasslands.

18:46SPEAKER_08:Bison kind of sound like they would be really good at wrestling. Okay, now we have a very good, very important question from our friend Chrisobal.

18:55SPEAKER_03:Hi Orbit, my name is Cristobal. I live in Panama City, and I have six years old. And my question is, what happened if the American bison disappeared from our planet? Bye.

19:18SPEAKER_01:Christopher, thanks for the question. Well, unfortunately, we know actually a lot about what would happen since during the 1800s we almost lost bison from North America and they were pushed out of huge, huge portions of our country and our continent. So, first of all, we would we would lose an animal that just helps create homes for so many other grassland species. Without bison to graze the grass and keep it short, species of birds like horned larks and mountain plovers would disappear.

19:44SPEAKER_01:Animals like antelope would have a harder time making it through harsh snowy winters without bison to clear the snow for places for them to forage. And predators like wolves and grizzly bears would lose their source of food. These bison sound really important for lots of animals. Bison are what we call a keystone species. When you remove them from the ecosystem, almost all the other parts of it tend to fall apart.

20:06SPEAKER_08:So when Dr. Andy talks about bison, he's not just describing an animal that lives in grasslands. He's describing an animal so big, so powerful, so important that it literally creates and shapes grassland ecosystems. Bison are some of the greatest lawnmowers, landscapers, and excavators to have ever lived on the planet. And they do all this naturally, just by being their big, fluffy, hungry, itchy, tree body slamming selves. Hey, Dr. Andy, now that we know how important American bison are, let's get to this question from our friend Alina.

20:45SPEAKER_14:Hi, my name is Alina, live in California, and my question is How do scientists study and protect the American bison? Biobitters.

21:00SPEAKER_01:Yeah, thanks so much, Alina. Scientists like me get to study what happens when bison are restored to ecosystems.

21:07SPEAKER_08:Being restored means that bison used to live in a place, then they stopped living there for a while, sometimes a very, very long time, and then they were brought back. Kind of like a coming home party.

21:19SPEAKER_01:I've learned things like how bringing back bison creates more biodiverse ecosystems and healthier streams with more species of birds. It's not just scientists, though, that have a role to play with bison conservation. So Native American tribes and private conservation organizations are really the ones that are bringing bison back to their lands. In the last 20 years, the number of bison herds created by tribal nations and conservationists has more than tripled in North America, which is tremendously exciting.

21:45SPEAKER_01:So cool.

21:49SPEAKER_08:Yeah, Sank, you too. Hey, let's go check in with our friend Luna. Hey Luna, are you ready to take a short break and stretch and move around a little bit?

21:58SPEAKER_14:Yeah.

21:58SPEAKER_08:Yeah, me too. Okay. What is a movement that orbiters should do?

22:03SPEAKER_14:Maybe a wolf. You you basically do a bear crawl, but very fast while howling.

22:10SPEAKER_08:Oh, okay. So you get down on your hands and knees and you on your feet. Hands and feet. Okay, so um you're on your hands and feet and you just crawl around super fast while you make wolf sounds.

22:25SPEAKER_14:Yeah.

22:25SPEAKER_08:And if it is an orbiter's second or third time listening to the episode, how should they change it up?

22:31SPEAKER_14:Do that backwards.

22:32SPEAKER_08:Wow. I bet somebody's gonna run into a chair or into the wall.

22:39SPEAKER_14:Just clear everything, all the furniture, and then do it.

22:44SPEAKER_08:Alright, alright, orbiters. I don't make the rules. Luna makes the rules, and the rules are do your best wolf impression, moving forward if it's your first time, moving backward if it's your second or third time. And while we're moving around like wolves, let's recap what we've learned. American bison are giant mammals, which means they have fur, drink milk from their mothers when they're babies, and are warm-blooded. They live in grassland ecosystems called prairies.

23:11SPEAKER_08:They used to roam across much of North America in enormous herds that stretched as far as the eye can see. Bison are a keystone species because their grazing, digging, and even their scratching help create homes for many other plants and animals. We also learn that scientists like Dr. Andy, conservation organizations like the Smithsonian Institute and Native American tribal nations are working together to restore bison to these ecosystems so both the bison and the many species that depend on them can thrive.

23:44SPEAKER_01:How can families continue to learn about prairies and bison? If you live close to a grassland, like in one of the western states, or you're on vacation, you can come see grasslands and bison at national parks like Yellowstone or Teddy Roosevelt, or at private nature reserves like American Prairie, which has a herd of about a thousand bison and where I do a lot of my work in Montana. If you don't live near one of these areas, I would urge you to go see bison in person at a local zoo near you.

24:10SPEAKER_01:They're amazing animals and really are best appreciated in person. Dr.

24:14SPEAKER_08:Andy also recommended some great resources that families can access online from their homes. Parents. I'll leave links in the show notes. Hey Dr. Andy, something else you told me is interesting. You study birds primarily, but you're also interested in bison. Can you tell us more? And orbiters. This is a cool opportunity for a new vocabulary word. Dr. Andy is a special kind of bird scientist called an ornithologist. Listen in the answer from when Dr.

24:40SPEAKER_08:Andy says the word ornithologist.

24:42SPEAKER_01:I study birds for a living and I'm interested in their conservation, and grassland birds are the most rapidly declining group of birds anywhere in the world. And that's in part because we haven't done a great job of protecting grasslands. But I take an interest in bison as an ornithologist because bison are these keystone species that modify the structure of grasslands. And that's what grassland birds care about.

25:04SPEAKER_08:Uh, help me out. What does modify the structure of grasslands mean, Dr. Andy?

25:10SPEAKER_01:You know, there are certain grassland birds that want their grass this short, or medium short, or tall and dense. And bison, along with other keystone species like prairie dogs and and also fire, are what create habitats for those birds on the landscape. So understanding and conserving bison is a is really a direct feedback into protecting grassland birds.

25:33SPEAKER_08:So helping bison also means we're helping out little birds that depend on bison. So cool. Thank you for joining us on orbit today, Dr.

25:41SPEAKER_01:Andy. Bye, orbiters. Thank you so much for your interest and so much for listening. The message I want to leave everybody with is that bison have been through a lot, but they are coming back. They're our national mammal and represent some of the most beautiful, wild, and untamed parts of our nation. So go out there, appreciate them, love them, and protect our grasslands.

26:02SPEAKER_08:Hey parents, our guest today was Dr. Andy Boyce, a research ecologist at the Smithsonians National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. You can find information about Dr. Boyce and the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in the show notes. Hey, before we wrap up, I bet a few of you are curious about the mystery sound. Do you remember it? If you said it's a sea lion, I would be very impressed. You got it right. Way to go! Alright, let's go check in with Luna one more time.

26:37SPEAKER_08:Hey Luna! We are about to wrap up this episode. What did you think of learning with Dr. Andy?

26:43SPEAKER_14:He was awesome saws with a meatball on top. Well, I learned that from my friend.

26:54SPEAKER_08:Awesome sawsum with a meatball on top. What do you think it's like to be in the middle of one of those huge herds?

27:01SPEAKER_14:Maybe like Thanksgiving when you gather with your family.

27:05SPEAKER_08:Interesting. So you're just surrounded by all your family.

27:08SPEAKER_14:Family and friends.

27:10SPEAKER_08:And your friends. Do you think the little girl and boy bison play games with each other?

27:15SPEAKER_14:Yeah, I think they play Chase the Tail.

27:18SPEAKER_08:Are they chasing their own tail or are they chasing somebody else's tail?

27:21SPEAKER_14:The other baby bison's tail.

27:23SPEAKER_08:Okay. And what how do you play Chase the Tail?

27:26SPEAKER_14:You you you see some another one of the baby's bison's tail and then you try to get it.

27:34SPEAKER_08:And the and the other baby bison runs away.

27:37SPEAKER_14:Yeah.

27:38SPEAKER_08:I think they probably would play hide and go seek.

27:40SPEAKER_14:Probably. Or or maybe or maybe headbutt the tree.

27:44SPEAKER_08:Or maybe headbutt the tree. Honestly, that actually is that is a game that they play. Before we say goodbye, why don't we give families a conversation starter? What is something that families can talk about together?

27:57SPEAKER_14:You could do this, would you rather? Would you rather jump super high like a kangaroo? Or change colors like a chameleon.

28:05SPEAKER_08:Wow, that is a great would you rather. And families, we recommend that you have a seer a very serious conversation about this. Miss Luna, what is your answer to that?

28:15SPEAKER_14:I would do um jump super high like a kangaroo because then when when my friends don't see me at the door well w where they're the window, I just go, hi, I'm here. Hello? Can you open the door?

28:32SPEAKER_08:So you're using it to jump up and see through high windows. That is a very, very specific reason to choose the kangaroo. Uh hey, Luna, we are about to finish this episode. I hear you have a joke for us.

28:44SPEAKER_14:What room can you not go into?

28:46SPEAKER_08:Alright, orbiters. What room can you not go into? I feel like I can go into most rooms. Um, I I give up. What is it?

28:57SPEAKER_14:Into a mushroom.

28:59SPEAKER_08:A mushroom. Oh, yeah, that is true. You can't go into a mushroom. Well, Luna, we are so thankful that you joined us today to help us learn about American bison. Do you have any special messages for our audiences?

29:15SPEAKER_14:Keep your brain going and keep your curiosity.

29:19SPEAKER_08:I love it. Luna, you're such a delight. Thank you for joining Orbit. We'll see everybody next week.

29:24SPEAKER_14:Bye.

29:29SPEAKER_08:One more special thanks to our friends at PBS Nature and the National Wildlife Federation for their help making this Wild Critters USA series. Orbit is produced by Coombray Kids. This episode was written by me, Robert Carpenter. The producer is Hadwin Rietta. Artwork for the episode by Moisis Monsalve and Jorge Wake. We'll see you in the next Wild Critters episode. Ciao!

29:50SPEAKER_11:The important thing is not to stop questioning Albert Einstein. Did you have a