European bison (wisent) were extinct in the wild by 1927, surviving only in zoos. A successful reintroduction program has restored populations to Bialowieza Forest and other sites, with welfare considerations at every stage of captive management and release.
European bison in semi-wild forest reserves face management decisions about winter supplementary feeding that create welfare trade-offs: feeding prevents starvation mortality but habituates animals to human contact and creates disease transmission risk. Genetic management to prevent inbreeding in small populations requires translocation of individuals, which causes translocation stress. Each management decision requires balancing individual welfare against population-level goals.