Wild Bison Restoration and Prairie Welfare

Bison restoration to North American prairies is restoring both species welfare and ecosystem function after near-extinction from commercial hunting.

Key Facts

American bison were reduced from approximately 30-60 million to under 1,000 by the late 19th century
Current bison numbers are approximately 500,000 but most are in commercial herds managed as livestock
Free-ranging wild bison populations exist in Yellowstone, Wood Buffalo, and a few other protected areas
Bison are ecosystem engineers whose wallowing, grazing, and movement create habitat diversity
Prairie ecosystems co-evolved with bison and decline without their grazing and disturbance
The American Prairie organization is rewilding 3 million acres in Montana for bison and associated species
Native American tribes are restoring bison to reservation lands reconnecting cultural and ecological relationships

Welfare Considerations

Bison in commercial farming often face conditions similar to cattle - fencing, supplemental feeding, and management that prevents expression of natural ranging behavior. Truly free-ranging bison in Yellowstone face seasonal food limitation, predation pressure from wolves, and management culling when populations exceed park boundaries. Restoration to large prairie landscapes where bison can roam hundreds of kilometers provides welfare conditions that commercial management cannot.

What You Can Do

Support American Prairie, Wildlife Conservation Society, and Indigenous bison restoration programs
Choose bison products from verified free-range operations where animals have adequate space
Advocate for expanded free-ranging bison populations on public lands
Learn about bison ecology and their role as prairie ecosystem engineers
Support Indigenous nations' bison restoration programs that reconnect cultural and ecological relationships
Donate to prairie conservation organizations protecting habitat for expanded bison range