American bison were nearly exterminated in the 19th century. Their welfare and ecological restoration across North America is a conservation success story with ongoing challenges.
Conservation-managed bison generally experience good welfare when given adequate space and social structure. However, welfare problems arise at the interfaces between conservation and livestock management. Bison that migrate out of Yellowstone are subject to hazing, capture, and culling due to brucellosis concerns from the livestock industry — stressful and lethal interventions that cause significant suffering. Commercial bison operations that apply intensive livestock practices — feedlot housing, handling stress, and transport — expose these wild-natured animals to conditions poorly suited to their behavioral biology. Restoring bison to tribal lands, where many nations are pursuing cultural and ecological restoration, represents a promising model for balancing conservation, welfare, and indigenous sovereignty.