American and European bison were nearly hunted to extinction. Their restoration represents a major conservation achievement with significant welfare implications for these ecologically important megafauna.
Bison welfare reflects both conservation success and ongoing management challenges. The restoration of bison populations from near-extinction demonstrates that wildlife welfare at scale can be reversed through protection and breeding programs. Wild bison express complex social behaviors including rutting, wallowing, and seasonal migration that represent positive welfare in recovered populations. However, most American bison live in managed herds where population control through culling, fence containment, and brucellosis management create ongoing welfare interventions. Yellowstone's wild bison herd — the only continuously wild population — faces annual management challenges as bison range beyond park boundaries in winter, triggering hunting and culling that causes significant mortality and welfare harm. European wisent reintroductions are producing genuinely wild populations in Belarus, Poland, and the Caucasus where bison can express natural ranging behavior.