In the mid to late 1800s, the US government intentionally drove the American bison to near complete extinction as an act of genocide toward the Plains Indians' entire way of life and most vital food source. Killing many tens of millions of bison, until there were less than a couple hundred left alive. This was integral in the genocide, such as by starving out the militarily superior Lakota Soiux, like Sitting Bull. And ensuring that all future war-crimes and treaty violations had maximum genocidal effect.
See:
Bison/Buffalo: Bison Genocide - South Dakota State University,
American bison - Wikipedia.
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