Meeting the welfare needs of bison held in zoological and conservation facilities.
Bison captive welfare reflects the species' relatively undomesticated nature and the large scale of natural behavior it requires to thrive. Unlike cattle with centuries of domestication, bison retain strong wild behavioral tendencies including flight responses and complex social structures that captive facilities must accommodate. The conservation success of bison recovery is a welfare achievement story, but individual bison welfare depends on facilities providing sufficient space, natural grazing, and appropriate social groupings. The tribal bison programs that have played a major role in restoration often integrate cultural values that align with high welfare standards.