Bison are the largest native grazer of America’s Northern Great Plains. This charismatic species that once roamed the grasslands freely by the tens of millions experienced a devastating blow to its population when the westward expansion of European settlers and market hunting pushed them toward extinction in the 1880’s.



Beginning in 1905, the American Bison Society and the US government launched a campaign to save the species from extinction and restore bison numbers, an effort that succeeded but ended in 1935. Since that time numbers have been stable, but small herd sizes have put bison genetic health and diversity at risk.

WWF will address this challenge through our work to restore large herds at multiple sites.



Take a look at why bison are unique to our landscape and what WWF is doing to help.