European bison were restored from seven individuals in 1952 and now number over 7,000 — with ongoing welfare considerations in managed populations, supplementary feeding, and reintroduction programmes.
Supplementary winter feeding in managed populations causes dependency and alters natural foraging behaviour, with competition at feed stations creating social stress for subordinate individuals. Bison populations in reserves face disease risk from domestic cattle, particularly bovine tuberculosis. Trophy hunting of bison in some range states involves welfare costs associated with pursuit and wounding. UK reintroduced bison require monitoring to ensure their welfare in novel habitat without the supplementary support they would have received in captive or semi-wild settings.