From barely two dozen to nearly 5,300: how the bison came back to Yellowstone
There were once tens of millions in North America, and fewer than a thousand were left. Some of the bison leaving Yellowstone now go to Indigenous nations.
In 1902, about two dozen bison remained in Yellowstone (United States). Today, according to the 2025 estimate, there are nearly 5,300. It’s one of wildlife’s great comeback stories, though not a complete one.
From millions to almost none
| Moment | Bison |
|---|---|
| Before the mid-1800s, in North America | 30 to 60 million |
| 1890s, across the continent | Fewer than 1,000 |
| Yellowstone, 1902 | About 24 |
| Yellowstone, 2025 | Nearly 5,300 |
Mass hunting pushed them to the brink. Part of that slaughter was deliberate, to destroy the livelihood of the Plains Indigenous peoples.
How they came back
In 1902, the Army brought in 21 bison from two private herds to bolster the survivors. Yellowstone is the only place in the US where bison have lived continuously since prehistoric times. Today they live in two large herds, in the north and centre of the park.
Now the challenge is the opposite
The herd grows by an average of 15.6% a year, and the park sets an upper limit of about 6,000 animals. That’s why it removes bison every winter: in 2022-2023 it removed 1,551, a record. Some of them go to Indigenous nations through transfer programmes. The InterTribal Buffalo Council now manages more than 20,000.
A partial recovery
Today there are about 500,000 bison raised as livestock, but only about 30,000 in conservation herds. And in Yellowstone you must keep at least 25 yards away: bulls weigh up to 2,000 pounds and there are scares every year.
Another mammal making a comeback in the western US: the Canada lynx caught on camera in New Mexico.
Sources and references
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