American bison were reduced from 60 million to fewer than 1,000 in decades; their restoration raises important questions about management intensity and welfare in semi-wild herds.
Bison restoration raises complex welfare questions about the management intensity appropriate for semi-wild animals. Brucellosis management — culling bison that stray outside Yellowstone to prevent disease transmission to cattle — results in the deaths of thousands of animals from herds that are genuinely wild. The welfare cost of these culls falls on individual animals performing natural migratory behavior. Roundup and handling procedures for disease testing cause acute stress. Bison in heavily managed commercial operations face feedlot-like conditions at certain stages. Genuinely conservation-oriented bison herds managed with minimal human interference provide the best welfare outcomes for individual animals while also serving ecosystem restoration goals.