The recovery of wild bison from near-extinction is a conservation success story, but ensuring their long-term welfare requires attention to genetic diversity, space, and social structure.
Bison in conservation herds face welfare challenges distinct from truly wild animals. Many herds are managed on fenced reserves too small to support natural migration and social behavior, leading to overgrazing and behavioral restrictions. Population management often involves culling or roundups for vaccination and genetic sampling, which cause acute stress. Genetic management must balance welfare costs of interventions against the long-term welfare benefits of maintaining diversity. The most welfare-positive conservation approaches maximize range size, minimize interventions, and maintain intact social groups.