Bison restoration has succeeded in growing North American populations from near-extinction. Welfare considerations inform how restoration herds are managed and where animals are placed.
Bison restoration represents one of conservation history's great success stories, but welfare considerations remain important. Bison in small enclosed reserves cannot express their full behavioral repertoire — they need large landscapes for seasonal migrations, wallowing, and the social dynamics of large herds. Enclosed herds require periodic management including culling or relocation to prevent overgrazing, which involves the welfare costs of roundup, handling, and killing. Large reserves like the American Prairie Reserve aim to provide sufficient scale for more natural dynamics. The restoration of wild bison to public lands creates the possibility of genuinely self-regulating populations with minimal management intervention and optimal behavioral welfare.