A word to all the bison naysayers out there: The shaggy ungulate isn’t trying to steal any bird’s thunder. It just wants in on Team America. On Monday, President Obama signed legislation that would make the bison the national mammal, allowing it to join the Bald Eagle as our national animal and national bird. “This is a new designation which has never existed before,” says John Calvelli, executive vice president for public affairs for the Wildlife Conservation Society, one of several organizations that have spent the past few years pushing for the bison to become the national mammal. The group has also been largely responsible for saving the bison from extinction. Today, about 30,000 bison live in tightly managed herds, while another half-million live on private ranches. That’s not bad for a species that was down to 1,000 animals at the beginning of the 20th century. Being a symbol doesn’t come with any added protections, but it does help illustrate how much effort...