American bison were reduced from 30+ million to fewer than 1,000 by the late 19th century; restoration efforts have raised populations to 500,000 but most live in commercial herds with welfare concerns.
The welfare picture for bison in North America is bifurcated. Commercial bison herds often manage animals with intense husbandry interventions — branding, deworming, selective culling — that cause individual suffering. Cattle-like management that prevents natural behavior is common. Conservation herds managed for ecological restoration — with large territories, minimal intervention, and social herd structure — offer better welfare. The Inter Tribal Buffalo Council restoration work, returning bison to Indigenous lands with traditional stewardship approaches, represents some of the best-practice welfare management available. The conservation success story obscures the welfare reality that most bison live in conditions far removed from their ecological context.