Thundering herds of bison once roamed the immense prairies of North America before their populations were brought to the brink of extinction. Today, thanks to the efforts of tribal programs, conservation agencies and organizations, and commercial producers, these iconic animals are returning to small pockets of their once vast range.

American Prairie works to restore bison population

But there are still few truly wild bison living and interacting with their environment as their forebears once did.

“Bison are maybe the most important species in this ecosystem in terms of being an ecosystem engineer,” said Dr. Daniel Kinka, director of rewilding at the American Prairie Foundation. “And even though there are a lot of bison in this country, they’re all behind fences. They take up a very, very small fragment of their historic range and this is a significant loss.”

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