Wild Animals

Wild Bison Restoration and Welfare

American bison have recovered from near extinction to over 500,000 animals but most are in commercial herds, with welfare implications for the small percentage in genuinely wild conditions.

Key Facts

American bison were reduced from 60 million to fewer than 1,000 by 1889 through commercial hunting
Conservation herds including Yellowstone maintain genetically pure wild bison populations
Most of the 500,000 bison counted in North America are in commercial beef production herds
Wild bison in Yellowstone face management pressures from brucellosis concerns and boundary conflicts
Wood bison in Canada were recently restored to parts of their original range

Welfare Considerations

Bison in commercial herds face welfare challenges from intensive management practices including branding, castration, and feedlot conditions adapted from cattle operations. Wild bison in Yellowstone face management interventions including hunting and hazing at park boundaries that cause injury and death. Genuinely wild bison with access to appropriate habitat, social groups, and natural behaviours experience far better welfare than those in commercial systems.

What You Can Do

Support organisations maintaining genetically pure wild bison conservation herds
Advocate for expansion of wild bison habitat through conservation easements and tribal land restoration
Choose bison products from herds managed with higher welfare standards and pasture access
Support the reintroduction of bison to tribal lands where Indigenous nations seek restoration
Donate to American Prairie Reserve and similar organisations creating large-scale bison habitat